Mapping climate impacts
Climate change is one of the greatest social, economic and environmental challenges of our time. Human activity is causing the climate to change. This, in turn, is having an impact on Australia's rainfall, temperatures, bushfire frequency, health, heritage and biodiversity for current and future generations.
During the past 100 years, global average surface temperature increased by about 0.7°C. Since 1910 the average temperature of Australia has risen by about 1°C. Although these increases sound small, they have a big impact on the world's climate.
How will I be affected?
It is difficult to precisely predict what the impacts of climate change will be, as they vary with each region. Best estimates are that by 2030 Australia will face:
a further 1ºC of warming in temperatures
up to 20 per cent more months of drought
up to 25 per cent increase in days of very high or extreme fire danger
increases in storm surges and severe weather events.
Australia is very vulnerable to the effects of climate change. We are already the driest inhabited continent on earth, heavily exposed to the dangers of extreme heat and drought. We are home to many globally important and vulnerable ecological systems. Australians are overwhelmingly coastal dwellers. Our industries and urban centres face ongoing water limitations. Our economy, including food production and agriculture, is under threat.
The longer we wait to act on climate change, the more it will cost and the worse its effects will be.
Read more : Australia wide impacts
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