TY - BOOK
T1 - Australia's Biodiversity and Climate Change
T2 - Technical Synthesis
AU - Steffen, Will
AU - Burbidge, Andrew
AU - Hughes, Lesley
AU - Kitching, Roger
AU - Lindenmayer, David
AU - Musgrave, Warren
AU - Stafford Smith, Mark
AU - Werner, Patricia
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - A strategic assessment of the vulnerability of Australia’s biodiversity to climate changeTechnical synthesis of a report to the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council commissioned by the Australian Government Since 2006, when the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council (NRMMC) first identified climate change priorities, government focus on climate change adaptation has increased significantly. This is reflected, for example, in recent national activity to develop climate change action plans for fisheries and forestry, and the review of the National Agriculture and Climate Change Action Plan. The Council of the Heads of the Botanic Gardens have recently prepared a climate change strategy for Australia’s botanic gardens and an assessment of the implications of climate change for Australia’s World Heritage properties has been completed. There is also, under the National Climate Change Adaptation Framework, a nationally coordinated approach to adaptation research planning including for terrestrial, freshwater and marine biodiversity. Research planning is supported by the Australian Government’s establishment of the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility and associated National Adaptation Research Networks.The NRMMC recognises climate change as a key threat to the conservation of Australia’s biodiversity, as highlighted through the terrestrial and marine biodiversity decline reports prepared in 2005 and 2008 respectively. Through the National Biodiversity and Climate Change Action Plan, agreed by NRMMC in 2005, the Australian Government in consultation with states and territory governments has led a suite of biodiversity-related climate change actions. A particularly significant activity commissioned by the NRMMC was a strategic assessment of the vulnerability of Australia’s biodiversity to the impacts of climate change. To undertake this assessment, an Expert Advisory Group, chaired by Professor Will Steffen, was established.This is the first such national assessment of the vulnerability of Australia’s biodiversity to climate change. The assessment report has a stronger focus on terrestrial biodiversity for a number of reasons: there has been a recent analysis of the impacts of climate change on marine biodiversity generally and the Great Barrier Reef in particular; while for freshwater systems, there has been relatively little research to date on the consequences of climate change for freshwater biodiversity, and relatively little literature to draw upon, although work is now underway to provide a preliminary assessment of implications for freshwater systems.This Technical Synthesis has been presented to the NRMMC by the Expert Advisory Group as a summary of their findings. In its entirety it does not claim to represent the views of individual states and territories or the Australian Government. However, the insights gained through the biodiversity vulnerability assessment should provide a valuable source of direction and information for biodiversity practitioners in developing climate change adaptation strategies for Australia’s biodiversity. Three products have been prepared:• A short Summary for Policy Makers• A Technical Synthesis (this document)• A full report (published by CSIRO Publishing)The NRMMC is continuing its effort to confront the challenges of climate change and has identified a broad ranging suite of climate change priorities to be addressed over the period 2009 to 2012. These priorities include a current review of Australia’s biodiversity strategy, the National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia’s Biological Diversity, Australia’s premier biodiversity conservation policy statement, review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and review of the National Action Plan for Biodiversity and Climate Change.
AB - A strategic assessment of the vulnerability of Australia’s biodiversity to climate changeTechnical synthesis of a report to the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council commissioned by the Australian Government Since 2006, when the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council (NRMMC) first identified climate change priorities, government focus on climate change adaptation has increased significantly. This is reflected, for example, in recent national activity to develop climate change action plans for fisheries and forestry, and the review of the National Agriculture and Climate Change Action Plan. The Council of the Heads of the Botanic Gardens have recently prepared a climate change strategy for Australia’s botanic gardens and an assessment of the implications of climate change for Australia’s World Heritage properties has been completed. There is also, under the National Climate Change Adaptation Framework, a nationally coordinated approach to adaptation research planning including for terrestrial, freshwater and marine biodiversity. Research planning is supported by the Australian Government’s establishment of the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility and associated National Adaptation Research Networks.The NRMMC recognises climate change as a key threat to the conservation of Australia’s biodiversity, as highlighted through the terrestrial and marine biodiversity decline reports prepared in 2005 and 2008 respectively. Through the National Biodiversity and Climate Change Action Plan, agreed by NRMMC in 2005, the Australian Government in consultation with states and territory governments has led a suite of biodiversity-related climate change actions. A particularly significant activity commissioned by the NRMMC was a strategic assessment of the vulnerability of Australia’s biodiversity to the impacts of climate change. To undertake this assessment, an Expert Advisory Group, chaired by Professor Will Steffen, was established.This is the first such national assessment of the vulnerability of Australia’s biodiversity to climate change. The assessment report has a stronger focus on terrestrial biodiversity for a number of reasons: there has been a recent analysis of the impacts of climate change on marine biodiversity generally and the Great Barrier Reef in particular; while for freshwater systems, there has been relatively little research to date on the consequences of climate change for freshwater biodiversity, and relatively little literature to draw upon, although work is now underway to provide a preliminary assessment of implications for freshwater systems.This Technical Synthesis has been presented to the NRMMC by the Expert Advisory Group as a summary of their findings. In its entirety it does not claim to represent the views of individual states and territories or the Australian Government. However, the insights gained through the biodiversity vulnerability assessment should provide a valuable source of direction and information for biodiversity practitioners in developing climate change adaptation strategies for Australia’s biodiversity. Three products have been prepared:• A short Summary for Policy Makers• A Technical Synthesis (this document)• A full report (published by CSIRO Publishing)The NRMMC is continuing its effort to confront the challenges of climate change and has identified a broad ranging suite of climate change priorities to be addressed over the period 2009 to 2012. These priorities include a current review of Australia’s biodiversity strategy, the National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia’s Biological Diversity, Australia’s premier biodiversity conservation policy statement, review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and review of the National Action Plan for Biodiversity and Climate Change.
UR - https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/policy/adaptation/publications/australias-biodiversity-climate-change
M3 - Commissioned report
SN - 978-1-921298-55-4
BT - Australia's Biodiversity and Climate Change
PB - Commonwealth of Australia
ER -