The effects of a changing climate are a close memory with recent floods and bushfires leaving trails of destruction across all regions including the Barwon South West. Observational data from the past century reveals significant changes in and surrounding Australia, with the climate system changing faster than expected.

Figure 8: Flooding of Curdies River, 2010

Managing Australia’s climate risks

Australia is among the developed countries most vulnerable to climate change. Our climate is highly variable and predisposed toward extreme weather events, and our ecosystems are finely balanced and often unique. Most of the country’s population lives in coastal cities exposed to rising sea levels and connected by infrastructure exposed to the full range of weather conditions. Climate change will have direct economic costs for Australia that need to be managed.

Coming Ready or Not: Managing climate risks to Australia’s infrastructure

The Climate Institute 2012

Global average temperature measurements indicate that the earth’s surface is warming; the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is rising, impacting sea levels (through the interaction of glaciers, ice caps and atmospheric water vapour). Although climate varies year to year, it is clear that the overall average global temperature trend is upward.

The dynamic nature of our climate system indicates a need to focus attention on how to adapt to these changes and understand the implications. Primary climate effects are defined as changes in:

Secondary climate effects are defined as changes in:

The interrelationships between these climate effects are outlined in Figure 9.

Figure 9: Climate effects used to determine exposure