South West Western Australia (SWWA) has not escaped and is acknowledged as a highly vulnerable region to the impacts of climate change. Its temperature is already 0.8°C higher than in 1910; however, the most notable impact is a 10 to 15 per cent reduction in rainfall since 1975, which has had a major impact on water supplies and industries such as agriculture.
LGA Climate Change Strategy 2008-2012
The LGA Climate Change Strategy has now been finalised following Council feedback and LGA State Executive Committee endorsement.
The National Risk Assessment Framework was designed to improve collective knowledge about natural hazard risk in Australia so that support can be provided to emergency risk management and natural hazard mitigation. The natural hazards covered in the framework are bushfires, earthquakes, floods, storms, tropical cyclones, storm surges, landslides, tsunami, tornados and meteorite strikes
The report concluded that adaptation then is necessary and will bring benefits. The report found that we need to increase the planning capacity of industries, communities and regions so they can engage more effectively in adaptation research and development. We need to communicate our knowledge and develop practical adaptation tools.
This research aims to protect Australia's marine and terrestrial species and ecosystems from the impacts of climate change by developing adaptation options that will minimise climate-related species loss.
A study investigating the potential public responses to climate change and the adaptive implications under different institutional settings. The study also includes a comparison of individual and group deliberative responses to scenarios of future climate change.
NSW DPI has established the climate risk management team to assist farmers to improve their short term decision-making in response to seasonal climate variability (El Nino, Southern Oscillation Index). The team also undertakes a broader extension and education role for farmers, on climate change and climate variability.
The Australian Climate Change Science Program aims to improve our understanding of the causes, nature, timing and consequences of climate change so that industry, community and government decisions can be better informed.
The Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) Adaptation Initiative has been established to assist councils that are already pursing strategies to reduce their corporate and community greenhouse gas emissions to plan and prepare for the projected impacts of climate change.
Australian Federal Government website on impacts and adaptation.
The early impacts of climate change have already appeared and scientists believe that further impacts are inevitable, no matter what happens to future global greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the decisions we make today about infrastructure, health, water management, agriculture, biodiversity and housing will have lasting consequences. It is therefore important to begin planning now for the impacts of climate change in the future
The CCP Adaptation Initiative spent the 2007-2008 financial year creating such a sophisticated process, which incorporates learnings gained from the CCP program and the Department of Climate Change's Climate Change Impacts & Risk Management: A Guide for Business and Government.
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