As global temperatures rise, risks to Australia’s infrastructure, cultural heritage, social cohesion and environment are intensifying. Ideally these risks would be mitigated by addressing the root cause of climate change, with ATSE having called for Australia to aim for net zero emissions by 2035. However, even with immediate action, evidence shows that average global temperatures have already risen 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels. Already our oceans are acidifying and droughts, cyclones, dust storms and fires have become more likely or more severe. These weather events risk damage to Australia’s vital transport networks, energy transmission network, water supplies and other critical infrastructure. No less importantly, they also risk damage to human health, wellbeing, social cohesion, cultural artifacts, and natural environment and wildlife.
An effective National Adaptation Plan will ensure that Australia’s infrastructure, people and its socio-cultural artifacts are protected in warming world. A core aspect of this will be recognising that the risks identified by the National Climate Risk Assessment are interrelated and intersectional. Damage to the natural environment will impact health, food producers, remote communities and more. Our adaptation strategy will also be affected by those of the nations in our region – climate change will not respect national borders and so a regionally integrated approach will be necessary.
To support the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water in developing the National Adaptation Plan, ATSE makes the following recommendations:
Recommendation 1: Align the National Adaptation Plan, National Water Initiative and the Murray-Darling Basin Plan to ensure a coordinated approach to managing water security and quality.
Recommendation 2: Apply a Probabilistic Risk Assessment Framework to build resilience and redundancy into Australia’s expanding energy transmission network, transportation system, and other critical infrastructure, as well as cultural and environmental assets.
Recommendation 3: Ensure that the National Adaptation Plan accounts for compounding, cascading and co-occurring weather and climate events.
Recommendation 4: Implement and fund a coordinated national strategy on decarbonising the healthcare sector.
Recommendation 5: Embed One Health and equity principles into the National Adaptation Plan.
Recommendation 6: Increase investments in research projects related to climate change and resilience.