Oliver Costello remembers hearing the rain in February 2022, when the NSW Northern Rivers was inundated with floodwater.
The Bundjalung man realised what was happening to Country even before the emergency communications about the extent of the flooding had caught up.
"I was lying in bed and the rain got even heavier and heavier and I felt really sick in my belly and I thought this is going to be the worst flood Lismore's ever seen," the Bundjalung man told AAP.
On Tuesday, 18 months after the flooding disaster inundated the town, a National Indigenous Disaster Resilience gathering began at Lismore showground, highlighting the importance of Indigenous leadership in emergency responses.
Mr Costello is the executive director of Jagun Alliance, which aims to improve land management and build resilience on country, predominantly focusing on cultural fire practices.
Mr Costello said Indigenous knowledge is integral to disaster resilience.
"Aboriginal people who are doing fire and water management, seeing the weather change, seeing the Country dry out or the Country get wet, we know what's going on even before it happens," he said.
It is this knowledge that is being brought to Lismore for the National Indigenous Disaster Resilience Gathering.
Indigenous people from all over the country - and the world - gathered for the three-day event, sharing knowledge about disaster resilience, emergency management, community recovery and caring for Country.
"The gathering has come about because of the recognition of the impact that major disaster events - fires, floods, cyclones - are having on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities," National Indigenous Disaster Resilience research lead Bhiamie Williamson said.
"This is the reality of climate change, that we are experiencing an increased frequency of major disaster events and those disaster events are more intense, and they are unfolding in places where there are big populations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people."
Alongside Indigenous organisations and leaders in the disaster resilience space, are legal experts, government representatives, local Lismore community members and representatives from NSW Reconstruction Authority.
Mr Williamson, a Euahlayi man, said it is important to bring Indigenous people and communities together with those responsible for disaster management and recovery.
"One of the things we've noticed in the last few years of our research is that Aboriginal organisations in particular are really isolated from the emergency management and disaster recovery arrangements in Australia,' he said.
"That is something that needs to change and this event is a big part of creating that change."
