Humans or animals? Prey or predator? Native or introduced? How can we coexist with less conflict and more appreciation of each other’s benefits?

Research area overview

Welcome to the Anthropocene. Humans have altered virtually every aspect of life on earth. We've reversed the flow of rivers, traded forests for plantations and wilderness for control. We use language that polarises and classifies almost anything into ‘in-or-out’ or ‘good-or-bad’. But surely there is a better solution than domination, hard borders and ‘us-vs-them’. This area of research recognises that there are multiple perspectives, multiple species and multiple ways to overcome differences.

Project and theme highlights

Examples of some of our projects:

 

Other research streams and topic areas in this theme include:

Rethinking Coexistence-The Wellbeing of Wild Horses

UTS is exploring the wellbeing of wild horses (Brumbies) through a transdisciplinary lens that blends ecological science, ethics, policy, and community perspectives. This research challenges traditional conservation paradigms by recognising wild horses as sentient beings within multispecies societies.

Through the Centre for Compassionate Conservation, the project advocates for more inclusive and humane approaches to land management, aiming to reduce conflict and foster coexistence between humans and wild animals. By integrating systems thinking and socio-cultural insight, the research seeks to reshape how we understand and care for brumbies in Australia’s landscapes-with the research also having future potential benefits for other wild horse populations around the world, such as Mustangs, Przewalski's horse, Namib Desert horse, Camargue horse, Exmoor pony, Icelandic horse and more.

Wildlife at the Frontlines of Human Conflict

UTS is investigating how wild animals are caught in the crossfire of geopolitical and territorial disputes—often overlooked victims of human conflict. Through our unique transdisciplinary approach that blends ecology, ethics, political science, and design, this research explores how hard borders and contested landscapes disrupt animal habitats, migration, and wellbeing. By working with communities, conservationists, and policymakers, the project seeks to reimagine coexistence strategies that prioritise compassion, ecological integrity, and peaceful multispecies futures.

Redesigning Waste for a Regenerative Future

UTS is leading transdisciplinary research (TD Research) to transform waste management through circular economy principles. By integrating technical analysis, policy insight, business innovation, and social research, this work reimagines how we design, use, and recover resources across industries and communities to benefit the futures of both humans and animals.

From solar panels and textiles to food and electronics, the research explores scalable solutions that reduce environmental impact, extend product lifecycles, and foster sustainable systems. Through a whole-of-systems approach, UTS is helping drive the shift from linear consumption to regenerative, circular models that benefit both people and planet.

Connections

Many of these projects are underpinned by the Centre for Compassionate Conservation. To learn more about this centre, visit Centre for Compassionate Conservation.

Contact us

At TD Research, we don’t just study problems – we work across disciplines and public and private sectors to co-create solutions and navigate positive paths forward. Our approach blends systems science, socio-cultural insight and design-led innovation to tackle challenges that no single field can solve alone. This is one of our competitive advantages and what makes us so unique.

By partnering with us, you gain access to a world-class team that’s skilled in navigating complexity, fostering collaboration and turning bold ideas into actionable strategies. Together, we can shape a more inclusive, resilient and forward-looking society.

To learn more and to see how TD Research can help you and your organisation, email TDResearch@uts.edu.au.

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