CSIRO provided a report to the Prime Minister on practical options for Australian governments to support and improve Australia’s climate and disaster resilience on June 30, 2020. The report includes recommendations on building Australia's climate and disaster resilience for consideration by governments and is underpinned by a more detailed technical report.
Climate and Disaster Resilience - Overview [pdf · 2mb]
Climate and Disaster Resilience - Technical Report [pdf · 5mb]
The summer of 2019-20 was defined by a series of consecutive and at times coincident natural events involving a confluence of bushfires, floods, drought and heat extremes. Their cascading effects have impacted Australian communities and industries. Apart from loss of life, the cost to the community and government of these events is significant. For example, insurance losses for this year’s bushfires already exceed A$2.3 billion1, and for the 2019 North Queensland floods social and economic costs exceed A$5.6 billion2.
CSIRO researchers undertake bushfire testing at the Eurobodalla Rural Fire Service Training Facility near Mogo in NSW, the only facility in Australia with a bushfire flame front simulator that enables testing of different materials in the open under realistic bushfire conditions.
Climate change influences the frequency and severity of these events and will be a factor into the foreseeable future, given the long timeframes associated with current climate trajectories. It is important to better understand and predict the interplay of these natural events and the challenges, risks and impacts they present over different timescales with an increasing population and changing human footprint. This is a complex undertaking. Much has already been done and achieved by all levels of government, response agencies and the community to increase Australia’s resilience. However, there is both a need and an opportunity to take this to the next level as we face increasing climate variability and hazard exposure, and drive a truly national response to further build the resilience of our infrastructure, our land use practices, our communities, our industries and our environment.
In response to the recent bushfires, CSIRO was tasked in January 2020 by the Prime Minister to deliver an independent study recommending ways in which Australia can increase its climate and disaster resilience, supported by an Expert Advisory Panel chaired by Australia’s Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel.
This work has been guided by the following principles:
Given the breadth of this topic, and the timeframe available, this Report (and accompanying Technical Report) is not intended be a comprehensive and definitive treatment of climate and disaster resilience. Compromises in scope have been made, with a focus on acute events, and limitations in the depth of exploration possible on some topics.
The opportunities to take Australia to the next level of building resilience broadly fall under the following six actionable themes outlined below. To realise these opportunities, this study makes a detailed series of findings and recommendations which form the basis for a forward plan of action.
The themes of these are:
Climate and Disaster Resilience - Overview [pdf · 2mb]
Climate and Disaster Resilience - Technical Report [pdf · 5mb]