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Preparedness for climate change and weather extremes

Adaptation Pathway

Integrated adaptation and recovery planning at multiple levels, from property to council to regional. Planning will target recovery from long-term and short-term climate impacts, such as flooding, cyclones, drought, heat-waves, changes to invasive species and water availability. This includes short and long-term preparation.

How was it identified

This issue has been reported by landholders post cyclones and informed through the RIS workshops and Your Climate interviews. Stream 2 messages discuss options for recovery.

Scale

Regional

Change

Incremental

Listen

  • Work with community and local governments to develop recovery plans that incorporate weed surveillance and management.

  • Identify with landholders the critical issues related to climate change, such as crop failure, drought, heat waves.

  • Identify issues related to post-event recovery, such as fire and cyclones.

Learn

  • Use historic and current datasets to identify key areas to manage weeds.

  • Develop robust surveillance and monitoring techniques for weed infestations.

  • Engage and provide information about local climate impacts.

  • Discuss how these will affect land management in the long term.

  • Discuss the critical issues that affect land managers after severe events, such as fire and cyclones.

Look

  • Use the results of previous weed infestation data to target areas where the risk of weed spread is greatest.

  • Identify new ways of implementing land management to better adapt to climate impacts.

  • Potentially include changes to infrastructure, energy sources (solar), water management or new crops.

  • Prepare post recovery plans and ensure support is available to respond to events.

Example Monitoring Indicator

  • Number of people who have implemented or reviewed plans at post natural event debriefing

Assumptions

  • Natural events such as cyclones and floods not only impact on communities, but also spread invasive weeds to new areas and change conditions for wildlife.

  • Planning for natural events include long-term strategies to change land management practices as well as short-term recovery plans for natural events.

  • Plans are implemented and reviewed.

Opportunities

  • Planning allows land managers to improve surveillance and monitoring of weeds and efficiently respond to outbreaks of weed infestations.

  • Planning supports natural area recovery.

  • Improved social cohesion within the community prior and during natural events.

Implications

  • Reduce the impact of new weed infestations.

  • Allow for quick recovery of natural areas.

  • Reduced impact from natural events on properties, land uses and ecosystems.

  • Improved energy and water efficiency, leading to better overall ecosystem health.

  • Natural events generally affect people and businesses, but there is an influx of support and funding to support recovery efforts. Planning will allow more efficient use of these resources.

  • Less unauthorised clearing of natural habitats post-event.