A study conducted by researchers at University College London has found that population growth in coastal areas can lead to major increases in exposure to extreme weather events.
Professor Georgina Mace, who led the study, said governments around the world had failed to grasp the risk that rapidly growing populations in coastal cities face the prospect of rising sea levels and more frequent and severe extreme weather events related to climate change.
The most comprehensive analysis of Australia’s future climate produced in the past decade warns that the nation could be headed for a rise in average temperature of 1.3°C by 2030 and between 2.8°C and 5.1°C by the year 2090.
The Natural Resource Management report, prepared by the CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology, notes that most of the climate changes observed in recent years are set to continue. The projections supersede those released by CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology in a 2007 report.
Queensland Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney has intervened to force the removal of all references to climate change-derived sea level rises from the regional plan of Moreton Bay Regional Council, a decision experts say could have wide ramifications.
The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) has released projections for future changes in temperature, rainfall and other climate variables. The projections have been prepared in conjunction with the ACT Government and the Climate Change Research Centre at the University of NSW.
The fine-scale projections are designed to help local government, business and the community to build resilience in the face of future extreme events and hazards by helping them to understand the impacts of climate change and better manage risk in their local areas.
The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists has released a report titled Blueprint for a Healthy Environment and a Productive Economy which calls on the Federal Government for tax reforms including eliminating fossil fuel subsidies and giving tax incentives to landowners to restore and protect environmental assets.
The group claims the tax reforms will ensure a productive economy and a healthy environment over the long term.
Research commissioned by the Climate Institute and the consumer group CHOICE warns that homebuyers could face big increases in insurance premiums and reduced property values due to the increased risk of extreme weather events and climate change.