Long-term research capabilities to support adaptive and transformative governance Australia

Research output: Contribution to conferenceAbstract

Abstract

From Panel Session 1 'A national adaptation reform agenda: what is needed?'
Day 2, 1:00pm, Tuesday 25th July, Climate Adaptation 2023: Act Together - Act Now

Australia needs substantial investments in research to develop innovative responses to the intensifying threats posed by climate change. The recent floods, bushfires and droughts provide evidence of the escalating social and environmental costs. New approaches are required, yet the scale of the research investment required is inadequate. Like a war, climate change is a threat to people, social stability, quality of life, the economy, and infrastructure. We need modern and effective ways of defending ourselves from the impacts of ever increasing natural hazards. For instance, we should investigate interventions, which could redirect the trajectories of cyclones or prevent catastrophic bushfires.

Over the next decade, the Government will invest $3.4 billion to establish the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator to deliver the capabilities needed by the Australian Defence Force. A comparable fund is needed to defend Australia from intensifying natural hazards, and to deliver meaningful adaptation strategies. Given the scale of the threats, existing funding of strategic research is insufficient. Transformative adaptation options are not being investigated because institutions mostly fund incremental research.

Australia needs to commit hundreds of millions of dollars to adaptation research, with new institutional structures to overcome the lack of coordination. New arrangements should build on previous Commonwealth initiatives tackling national priorities, such as Land and Water Australia and the National Water Commission. To build research capacity, the Commonwealth should invest in thousands of well-funded PhD scholarships on disaster risk reduction, transformative adaptation and regional resilience. These proposals are critical to developing civil defence capabilities, enabling transformative governance and avoiding costly future problems. A failure to plan for these known threats is to plan for failure.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 2023
EventClimate Adaptation 2023 - Adelaide, Australia
Duration: 25 Jul 202327 Jul 2023
https://www.ivvy.com.au/event/CA2023/welcome.html

Conference

ConferenceClimate Adaptation 2023
Abbreviated titleCA2023
Country/TerritoryAustralia
CityAdelaide
Period25/07/2327/07/23
Internet address

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