Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Research Network

Risks and Impacts

The state of the Climate Report (BOM 2020) indicates that expected climate risks for Australia over coming decades will arise from more extreme heat, reduced cool season rainfall, increases in fire risk, continuing sea level rise, marine heatwaves and high intensity cyclones. The effects of these impacts can be both short and long term, with some communities experiencing cumulative damage and cost impacts from several events over time (drought, flood, fire, coastal storms). The impacts also vary across the nation with the reduction in rainfall for example, impacting on water supply, agricultural production and ecosystem services, particularly affecting southern and eastern Australia. There is a projected increase of bleaching of the Great Barrier and Ningaloo reefs (BOM 2020) which could severely impact on reef health and dependent industries. The projected impacts of climate change and possible ‘compounding’ impacts over time have serious implications for communities and environments across Australia and the surrounding Asia-Pacific region.

Knowledge of how the climate is likely to change in the future is continually improving and there is much yet to be understood about how changes in climate variables will impact on environments, communities and businesses. This section covers the research and education across the University of Canberra contributing to the ongoing identification and discovery of climate risks and impacts at the international, national, sub national and local scale.