3
March 2009 - The Rudd Government is providing
more than $1.3 million for research into
the potential impacts of climate change
on primary industries and the strategies
that may be needed to adapt.
Minister for Climate
Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, said
the funding would help establish a research
network through Land and Water Australia,
bringing together regional and sectoral
research expertise from across the country.
"The Rudd Government
has three priorities in our plan to tackle
climate change: reducing carbon pollution;
helping to shape a global solution; and
adapting to the climate change that is already
happening," Senator Wong said.
"This research
network will help us adapt to climate change
by building knowledge in areas including
water use in agriculture, landscape management
systems, and the capacity of plant and animal
resources to adapt to climate change.
"Other areas of
research will include socio-economic impacts
and regional resilience."
Challenges posed by
climate change to agriculture include declines
in water availability, more frequent and
more extreme droughts and bushfires, and
increases in pests, weeds and disease.
"We've are already
seeing the devastating impact that drought
can have on rural and regional communities
that depend on agriculture.
"We want to better
understand the future potential impact of
climate change so we can help these communities
adapt."
The funding is part
of a $10 million national effort in eight
priority areas – primary industries; terrestrial
biodiversity; water resources and freshwater
biodiversity; marine biodiversity and resources;
disaster management and emergency services;
settlements and infrastructure; human health;
and social, economic and institution dimensions.
The work is being undertaken
by „adaptation research networks? hosted
by the Government?s National Climate Change
Adaptation Research Facility, as part of
a broader $126 million Rudd Government investment
in climate change adaptation.
"Our research networks
are bringing together leading Australian
researchers to advance our understanding
of how vulnerable sectors and regions might
be to the impacts of climate change, and
what action might be needed to reduce the
risks."
+ More
Helping local communities
respond to climate change
4 March 2009 - Minister
for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny
Wong, today announced some $330,000 funding
to the CSIRO to develop an online tool to
help communities adapt to climate change.
"This tool will
help meet growing demand from decision-makers
to have better access to climate change
information," Senator Wong said.
"It will help local
governments, researchers and the community
tailor climate change projections to their
local area."
The Rudd Government
has three priorities in tackling climate
change: reducing carbon pollution, helping
find a global solution, and adapting to
the climate change that is already happening.
"Projects like
this help local communities learn more about
the effects that climate change is likely
to have on them and so better prepare for
them."
Senator Wong today also
congratulated ICLEI Oceania on the launch
of its Climate Change Adaptation Toolkit.
ICLEI - Local Governments
for Sustainability is an international association
of local governments established to build
capacity, share knowledge and support sustainable
development at the local level.
"The Australian
Government provided some $200,000 to ICLEI
Oceania to develop the comprehensive kit
of 14 tools to help local governments assess
their risk from climate change and explore
how they can respond," Senator Wong
said.
"The Government
understands the important role of local
governments in preparing their communities
for climate change - and the need to help
local communities consider climate risks
when planning for the future."
The Government is also
supporting the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems
- Cooperative Research Centres's (ACE-CRC)
Estimating Sea Level Rise in an Uncertain
Future project which will help local communities
estimate sea level rise.
"I encourage infrastructure
owners, planners, engineers and policy makers
to attend ACE-CRC's sessions to help them
incorporate the potential impacts of rising
sea levels in management and planning decisions,"
Senator Wong said.
"All these projects
are important steps towards helping local
communities help themselves to respond to
climate change."
ICLEI Oceania - www.iclei.org/oceania
ACE CRC - www.sealevelrise.info
Department of Climate Change - www.climatechange.gov.au
