Title: State of the WA Environment Climate Change Vulnerabilities
1State of the WA Environment Climate Change
Vulnerabilities ImpactsThe unavoidable need
for managing change
- Dr Wally Cox
- Chairman
- Environmental Protection Authority
2SoE Overview
WA State of the Environment 2006
- Report to community and decision makers (every 5
years) - Major environmental issues and trends
- Raise awareness
- ID responses required
- Report out in late 2006
3Scope
WA State of the Environment 2006
- Fundamental Pressures
- CLIMATE CHANGE , population consumption
- Major environmental themes
- Land, air, inland waters, marine, biodiversity ,
human settlements, heritage - NRM Sectors
- Agriculture, mining, energy, water supply etc
Climate change identified in every section
4WA State of the Environment 2006
Aspects of climate change
5WAs position
WA State of the Environment 2006
- Primary focus greenhouse gas emissions mitigation
- Global emissions reduction beyond our control
- Change is inevitable
- WA must prepare to live with and adapt to climate
change
6Vulnerabilities
WA State of the Environment 2006
- Key drivers temperature and rainfall
- Every living organism has a T R range
- Implications for natural and economic systems in
WA
7Key vulnerabilities - natural systems
8Key vulnerabilities - economic systems
9Gnangara Mound decline
10Consequences
Yanchep Caves Stygofauna and root matt communities
Banksia prionotes
Banksia littoralis
Regelia ciliata
11- Median monthly flows for the Harris River, near
Collie before and after 1976
12Adaptation - Principles
WA State of the Environment 2006
- Prevent and/or modify threats
- Change uses / activities
- Change location of activities
- Expand research into impacts, technologies and
methods of adaptation - Educate, inform and encourage behavioural change
13Adaptation - capacity
WA State of the Environment 2006
- Some areas will be able to adapt
- Water sector
- Coastal planning
- Agriculture
- Some wont
- Vulnerable SW ecosystems
- Wheatbelt spp.
- Southern rangelands?
- Coral reefs Ningaloo, Dampier Archipelago
14Intervention?
WA State of the Environment 2006
- Extreme / deliberate intervention -
- Last line of defence
- Millenium Seed Bank Project, cryogenic chamber
- Yanchep stygofauna
Cost of intervention Technology
requirements Timeframe Knowledge
Intervention adaptive management
Natural adaptation
15Conclusion
WA State of the Environment 2006
- The Greenhouse Bulldozer is coming
- We have a moral obligation to reduce our GHG
emissions - We need to
- Enhance our understanding of the impacts for WA
environment and sectors - Plan to adapt AND
- Adapt