Australian Climate Service

The Australian Climate Service team is hard at work, combining science from Australia's leading science agencies that will help to build our country's picture of climate risk.    ✓ We're building an understanding of how climate-related hazards in Australia might change across different global warming levels in the future.      ✓ We're creating all-new data index that will tell us where our most vulnerable Australians are located based on key factors like, housing status, access to vehicles, and more.      ✓ We're also developing an economic index that when combined with climate and hazard information will show us exactly who and what may be most vulnerable to impacts from climate change.    Much of this information is being applied to Australia's systems to build an evidence base for Australia's first ever National Climate Risk Assessment. Risk information is being developed across the following systems:     - Defence and national security   - Economy, trade and finance  - First Nations values and knowledges   - Health and social support   - Infrastructure and built environment   - Natural environment   - Primary industries and food   - Regional and remote communities    Stay tuned for more updates on what we're working on or visit www.acs.gov.au      Bureau of Meteorology CSIRO Australian Bureau of Statistics Geoscience Australia 

This #scienceweek, we are proud to be bringing some of the country's best and brightest together to build Australia's climate and natural hazard information and knowledge capability to improve climate decision making at a national scale.    Climate information is a critically important piece of the climate decision making puzzle. It includes both climate science and information about Australia.    An important piece of climate information we're creating at the ACS is long-term climate projections.    These projections are generated (usually over months or years) through a supercomputer, which is used to simulate key parts of the climate system over our region - like rainfall and temperature – to tell a story about what we can expect in the future. But this modelling alone doesn't paint the full picture of risk.      To adapt and reduce impacts from climate change, we also need to understand how hazards – like storms, floods, droughts and tropical cyclones - will change under future warming scenarios. Its these hazards that have the most impact on our lives.     When we know what the future climate may look like and how hazards may change, we can apply other layers of information to uncover things like, what communities, infrastructure, or aspects of the natural environment are exposed and vulnerable.      We will never be able to predict with exact accuracy what mother nature will do, but that doesn't mean we can't improve our intelligence capability to prepare for a different future.      The Australian Climate Service draws on advanced capabilities from across its partnership with the Bureau of Meteorology, CSIRO, Australian Bureau of Statistics and Geoscience Australia.     For more about how the ACS is using climate and hazard information visit: www.acs.gov.au   

How might our changing climate impact Australia's regional and remote communities in the future?   During the first pass of the National Climate Risk Assessment, we spoke to more than 300 experts across 8 different systems. They gave deep insights into the sorts of impacts that are being seen already, as well as what we could face in the future under various climate change scenarios. In the regional and remote communities system, we worked closely with experts from across governments, industry experts, researchers, not-for-profit representatives and policy makers to develop an understanding of the risks in this system. Here's a snippet of what they told us about potential future impacts on the system: - There is a difference between rural, regional and remote communities, each with distinct needs and risks. - Climate change places disproportionate pressure on these communities and may push them beyond recovery thresholds. - Climate change impacts such as sea-level rise and heat may make some communities unviable, with these impacts compounded by insurance and rebuilding costs. To prosper in our changing climate, we need to understand the risks Australia is facing. This work will benefit Australia for years to come, helping us prepare for and adapt to a more challenging climate. The first pass assessment process uncovered 10 nationally significant risks to regional and remote communities system. Read all the insights from the system here: https://lnkd.in/gs-B7azK CSIRO Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Geoscience Australia

How might our changing climate impact Australia's primary industries and food system in the future? Here's what we heard from the experts. During the first pass of the National Climate Risk Assessment, we spoke to more than 300 experts across 8 different systems. They gave deep insights into the sorts of impacts that are being seen already, as well as what we could face in the future under various climate change scenarios. In the primary industries and food system, we worked closely with experts from across governments, agriculture experts, researchers, not-for-profit representatives and policy makers to develop an understanding of the risks in this system. Here's a snippet of what they told us about potential future impacts on the system: - The primary industries and food system is already under stress due to a changing climate and other factors. - Extreme events, such as more frequent and severe bushfires and floods, are changing landscapes and ecosystems, affecting communities and making it difficult to maintain primary production. - Climate change will have varying impacts on invasive pests and diseases, with some areas experiencing a decrease in biosecurity risks (although other areas will experience an increased biosecurity risk). - With appropriate planning, some risks might represent opportunities in certain regions for example, higher rainfall in some areas might create opportunities for new primary industries. To prosper in our changing climate, we need to understand the risks Australia is facing. This work will benefit Australia for years to come, helping us prepare for and adapt to a more challenging climate. The first pass assessment process uncovered 6 nationally significant risks to the primary industries and food system. Read all the insights from the system here: https://lnkd.in/gnXM83PT CSIRO Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Geoscience Australia @Australianbureauofstatistics

How might our changing climate impact Australia's natural environment system in the future: What we heard from the experts. During the first pass of the National Climate Risk Assessment, we spoke to more than 300 experts across 8 different systems. They gave deep insights into the sorts of impacts that are being seen already, as well as what we could face in the future under various climate change scenarios. In the natural environment system, we worked closely with experts from across governments, researchers, not-for-profit representatives, and policy makers to develop an understanding of the risks in this system. Here's a snippet of what they told us about potential future impacts on the system: - Biodiversity loss and landscape change are already occurring due to non-climate pressures as well as the changing climate. - Climate change may exacerbate and accelerate these changes, leading to irreversible losses. - A loss of refugia (cooler or wetter areas that species retreat to in hotter or drier times) could also contribute to abrupt losses, as plants and animals will not be able to seek shelter from changing conditions. To prosper in our changing climate we need to understand the risks. This work will benefit Australia for years to come, helping us prepare for and adapt to a more challenging climate. The first pass assessment process uncovered 8 nationally significant risks to the natural environment system. Read all the insights from the system here: https://lnkd.in/gnXM83PT CSIRO Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Geoscience Australia @Australianbureauofstatistics

How might our changing climate impact Australia's infrastructure and built environment system in the future: What we heard from the experts During the first pass of the National Climate Risk Assessment, we spoke to more than 300 experts across 8 different systems. They gave deep insights into the sorts of impacts that are being seen already, as well as what we could face in the future under various climate change scenarios. In the infrastructure and built environment system, we worked closely with experts from all-across governments, Traditional Owners, climate, vulnerability and exposure experts to develop an understanding of the risks in this system. Here's a snippet of what they told us about potential future impacts on the system: - Climate change impacts on the built environment may affect our quality of life, our natural surroundings, and our mental and physical health. - Flooding is one of the biggest threats to our built environment and is likely to increase in magnitude in the future. - Keeping people connected during extreme events – to critical water and energy supply, transport and telecommunications – will ensure we remain safe and have access to essential supplies. To prosper in our changing climate, we need to understand the risks Australia is facing. This work will benefit Australia for years to come, helping us prepare for and adapt to a more challenging climate.   The first pass assessment process uncovered 10 nationally significant risks to the infrastructure and built environment system. Read all the insights from the system here: https://lnkd.in/gnXM83PT CSIRO Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Geoscience Australia @australianbureauofstatistics

How might our changing climate impact Australia's health and social support system in the future? - What we heard from the experts During the first pass of the National Climate Risk Assessment, we spoke to more than 300 experts across 8 different systems. They gave deep insights into the sorts of impacts that are being seen already, as well as what we could face in the future under various climate change scenarios. In the health and social support system, we worked closely with experts from across governments, health and research entities, not-for-profits, data specialists and policy makers to develop an understanding of the risks in this system. Here's a snippet of what they told us about potential future impacts on the system: - Climate change impacts will affect a range of health outcomes, including fatalities, heat-related illnesses, infectious diseases, suicides, injuries, and renal, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. - Climate change impacts are unevenly distributed across the population, varying between geographical regions, socio-economic groups, generations, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. - There is likely to be an increased risk of food and water insecurity, which will have wide reaching impacts on human health and the health system. Climate change impacts are also likely to affect society, with exacerbated inequalities potentially leading to social disruption. To prosper in our changing climate, we need to understand the risks Australia is facing. This work will benefit Australia for years to come, helping us prepare for and adapt to a more challenging climate.   The first pass assessment process uncovered 9 nationally significant risks to the health and social support system. Read all the insights from the system here: https://lnkd.in/gnXM83PT CSIRO, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Geoscience Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics

How might our changing climate impact Australia's economy, trade and finance system in the future? - What we heard from the experts During the first pass of the National Climate Risk Assessment, we spoke to more than 300 experts across 8 different systems. They gave deep insights into the sorts of impacts that are being seen already, as well as what we could face in the future under various climate change scenarios. In the economy, trade and finance system, we worked closely with experts from across governments, banking and insurance, not-for-profit representatives, and climate scientists to develop an understanding of the risks in this system. Here's a snippet of what they told us about potential future impacts on the system: Ø Climate change may increase risks to employment, productivity and revenue (e.g. from tourism and agriculture), as well as decrease financial stability and challenge the ability to invest in construction and repair after disasters. Ø Domestic and international supply chains will likely be affected, greatly impacting Australia’s economy (as seen during COVID). Ø We may see increasing risks to insurance affordability, including risks to re-insurance supply due to international disasters. To prosper in our changing climate, we need to understand the risks Australia is facing. This work will benefit Australia for years to come, helping us prepare for and adapt to a more challenging climate. The first pass assessment process uncovered 5 nationally significant risks to the economy, trade and finance system. Read all the insights from the system here: https://lnkd.in/gnXM83PT CSIRO, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Geoscience Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics

How might our changing climate impact Australia's defence and national security system in the future? - What we heard from the experts During the first pass of the National Climate Risk Assessment, we spoke to more than 300 experts across 8 different systems. They gave deep insights into the sorts of impacts that are being felt already, as well as what we could face in the future under various climate change scenarios. In the Defence and National Security space, we worked closely with experts from across governments, defence, emergency services, not-for-profit representatives, researchers and policy makers to develop an understanding of the risks in this system. Here's a snippet of what they told us about potential future impacts on the system: - We could see increased risks to mental health, including burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder, for those facing disasters and disaster recovery on an increasingly regular basis. - Changing climate may affect infrastructure, equipment and supply chains critical to the operations of the defence and national security system. - Climate change could drive more disasters, reduce available resources (including food and water) and force people to move away from their homes and communities. These impacts could then drive conflict and a breakdown in social cohesion. To prosper in our changing climate, we need to understand the risks Australia is facing. This work will benefit Australia for years to come, helping us prepare for and adapt to a more challenging climate. The first pass assessment processes uncovered 8 nationally significant risks to the Defence and national security system. Discover more Australian Climate Service insights from the Defence and National Security system here: https://lnkd.in/gnXM83PT CSIRO, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, National Emergency Management Agency, Geoscience Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics

Australia’s first National Climate Risk Assessment (Risk Assessment) is identifying to what degree Australia's people, infrastructure, economy, and environments are exposed and vulnerable to climate change this century. It will inform national priorities for climate adaptation and resilience actions through the Australian Government's National Adaptation Plan. The Australian Climate Service is building the evidence base underpinning the Risk Assessment over two key stages: - The first pass assessment (released in early 2024) undertook a qualitative high-level assessment of the climate-related risks the nation will face over this century. A series of expert workshops built on findings from a literature scan and assessment of adaptation policy and activities currently underway around the country. - The second pass assessment (currently underway) is taking a deep dive into understanding the highest priority risks, drawing together and analysing national climate data to further understand Australia's how we could adapt to climate change and reduce impacts.   Over the coming weeks we will put the spotlight on key findings from each of the key systems, sharing some of the insights gained through the first pass assessment and the focus of activities in the second pass assessment. Stay tuned and make sure you're following @AustralianClimateService for updates. For more visit: https://lnkd.in/gnXM83PT