Personal profile
Research interests
Jeremy Russell-Smith has 40 years of experience researching savanna fire ecology, carbon market, ecosystem services, and associated livelihood opportunities for land managers and Indigenous (Aboriginal) communities in northern Australia and neighbouring countries. Over the past 20+ years he has been involved with ongoing development of Australian Government-regulated savanna burning greenhouse gas emissions abatement, and associated carbon sequestration, methods in northern Australia. In recent years he has been involved with the development of similar methodological approaches for application in fire-prone savannas in southern Africa, the Indo-Pacific and the Americas. He gained a PhD in 1986 from the Australian National University, Canberra. He holds the position of Professor of Fire Ecology at Charles Darwin University, Darwin.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty
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SDG 2 Zero Hunger
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SDG 4 Quality Education
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SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
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SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
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SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
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SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
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SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
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SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
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SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
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SDG 13 Climate Action
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SDG 14 Life Below Water
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SDG 15 Life on Land
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SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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2019 Rainmaker Readiness - Positioning CDU for a future National Environmental Science Program bid
Banks, S. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Gibb, K. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A) & Russell-Smith, J. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A)
6/11/19 → 30/04/21
Project: Research
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2020 Rainmaker Start Up - ARC Linkage - Dynamic Habitat Mapping Framework
Russell-Smith, J. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Edwards, A. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Evans, J. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Fisher, R. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Yates, C. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Luttig, D. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Lewis, M. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B) & Hawkey, C. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B)
15/07/20 → 30/06/22
Project: Research
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2021 Rainmaker Start-up grant: Building partnerships to develop culturally appropriate PES mechanisms for Indigenous peoples and local communities"
Sangha, K. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Russell-Smith, J. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Garnett, S. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Edwards, A. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Evans, J. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Yates, C. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Banks, S. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A) & Murphy, B. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A)
1/11/21 → 31/01/23
Project: Research
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B1.1 Savanna Fire Management and BNH Scenario Planning for Northern Australia
Edwards, A. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Yates, C. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B), Russell-Smith, J. (Chief Investigator C), Setterfield, S. (Chief Investigator D) & Rossiter-Rachor, N. (Chief Investigator E)
1/01/14 → 30/12/19
Project: Research
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B1.2 Scoping Remote North Australia Community Resilience and Developing Governance Models Through Action Research
Yates, C. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A) & Russell-Smith, J. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B)
1/01/14 → 30/06/17
Project: Research
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BNHCRC PhD Scholarship Katherine Van Wezel - Toward culturally appropriate fire management in the Waanyi and Garawa lands: impediments, opportunities and key challenges
Russell-Smith, J. (Supervisor) & Van Wezel, K. P. (Student Investigator)
16/03/15 → 15/09/18
Project: Research
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Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, utilisation funding variation for Core Research Program project ‘Developing effective emergency management partnerships in remote north Australian communities’ (Commenced 1 July 2017)
Russell-Smith, J. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A)
2/04/20 → 31/12/20
Project: Research
Research output
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Fire emission abatement potential by shifting fire regimes in global savannas: a reassessment using the fifth version of the Global Fire Emissions Database (GFED5)
Vernooij, R., Eames, T., van Wees, D., Chen, Y., Randerson, J., Russell-Smith, J., Yates, C. & Werf, G., Feb 2026, In: International Journal of Wildland Fire. 35, 2, p. 1-23 23 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
A bottom-up savanna fire fuel consumption inventory and its application to savanna burning in Kafue National Park, Zambia
Eames, T., Kaluka, A., Vernooij, R., Yates, C., Russell-Smith, J. & Van Der Werf, G. R., 28 Feb 2025, In: International Journal of Wildland Fire. 34, 2, p. 1-15 15 p., WF24121.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (Scopus)55 Downloads (Pure) -
A nature-based solutions assessment framework integrating Indigenous biocultural and ecosystem services perspectives: An Australian example
Sangha, K. K., Ahammad, R., Russell-Smith, J., Wolley, L. A., ASRAC Aboriginal Corporation, Mimal Land Management Aboriginal Corporation & Djabuguy Aboriginal Corporation, Mar 2025, In: Ecological Indicators. 172, p. 1-11 11 p., 113230.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile5 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)53 Downloads (Pure) -
Contemporary fire regimes and elephant impacts in Baikiaea-dominated woodlands of the Chobe region, northern Botswana
Lekoko, O., Russell-Smith, J., Edwards, A. & Yates, C., 2 Jul 2025, In: International Journal of Wildland Fire. 34, 7 Collection: Savanna burning, p. 1-12 12 p., WF25034.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (Scopus)3 Downloads (Pure) -
Culturally appropriate nature-based solutions policy settings supporting Indigenous Peoples in Australia—International lessons and applications
Sangha, K. K., Ahammad, R., Russell-Smith, J., Hernández-Blanco, M., Pérez-Maqueo, O. & Costanza, R., Dec 2025, In: Nature-Based Solutions. 8, p. 1-12 12 p., 100258.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (Scopus)9 Downloads (Pure) -
Assessing changes in global fire regimes
Sayedi, S. S., Abbott, B. W., Vannière, B., Leys, B., Colombaroli, D., Romera, G. G., Słowiński, M., Aleman, J. C., Blarquez, O., Feurdean, A., Brown, K., Aakala, T., Alenius, T., Allen, K., Andric, M., Bergeron, Y., Biagioni, S., Bradshaw, R., Bremond, L. & Brisset, E. & 87 others, , Dec 2024, In: Fire Ecology. 20, 1, p. 1-22 22 p., 18.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile86 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)124 Downloads (Pure) -
Dynamics of standing dead wood and severe fire in north Australian savannas: implications for carbon management
Whitehead, P. J., Murphy, B. P., Evans, J., Lynch, D., Yates, C. P., Edwards, A., McDermott, H. & Russell-Smith, J., 16 Oct 2024, In: International Journal of Wildland Fire. 33, 10, p. 1-18 18 p., WF24081.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)29 Downloads (Pure)
Press/Media
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How starting bush fires could save Africa’s disappearing lions
16/03/21
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Australia helps African nations revitalise Indigenous bushfire management skills
20/11/21
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Andrew Edwards
Edwards, A. & Russell-Smith, J. C. Z.
20/12/23
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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How starting brush fires could save Africa’s disappearing lions
16/03/21
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Fighting fire with fire: Botswana adopts Indigenous Australians' ancient burning tradition
8/05/21
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Agribusiness buzz in brief: New wine giant; Rabo skills help offer; Elders-CSU
Sangha, K. & Russell-Smith, J. C. Z.
5/05/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research