Hong Kong | Monday, November 28, 2022
Australia will continue to see a spike in extreme rainfall
and heat, as well as more dangerous fire events, its government agencies warned
Wednesday.
The
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the
Bureau of Meteorology of Australia stated in a biennial climate report that
they had lately discovered “an increase in high heat events, intense heavy
rainfall, prolonged fire seasons, and sea level rise.”
The agencies warned that because the changes are occurring
more quickly, Australia would face increased pressure to move its economy away
from fossil fuels.
According to Michael Robertson, director of agriculture and
food at CSIRO, “the threats brought on by climate change, including
extreme rainfall, droughts, heatwaves, and bushfires, are already having
widespread effects on Australia’s agricultural industry, affecting food
production and supply chains.”
Australian agricultural products
like beef, wine, sugar, cotton, and wool are among the top exports in the
world. It is renowned for having an abundance of natural resources, including
coal, gas, and iron ore.
According to Michael Battaglia,
director of Towards Net Zero Mission, a branch of CSIRO, “we’re facing
significant challenges to support and coordinate the shifts across
infrastructure, regulation, skills, technology, finance and investment that are
needed for the transition to a low-emission economy.”
Recent extreme weather events, such as flooding, and marine
heat waves that have caused widespread coral bleaching on the Great Barrier
Reef have all contributed to the disastrous effects of the climate crisis on
Australia.
The nation witnessed a remarkable third consecutive La Nia
weather pattern this year, which brought heavier and more frequent downpours,
causing rivers to overflow their banks and flooding communities both inland and
near the shore.
Farmers have lost crops due to excess water use after years
of drought, and forecasts predict that this loss will only continue.
When the new Labor government came to power in May with a
pledge to promote renewable energy, climate change was a major topic. Soon after
assuming power, the government upped Australia’s goals to reduce emissions by
43% from 2005 levels by 2030. While this is a higher goal than the one set by
the previous administration, climate scientists argue that it is still not
aggressive enough.
The effects on the economy have been
well-documented. According to the Minderoo Foundation, over the previous 50
years, “climate-induced extreme weather events, including drought, fires,
and floods, have cost Australian communities an estimated 120 billion
[Australian dollars] ($79.8 billion). In a report released in January, the
nonprofit organization revealed the total.