think climate. think change.
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) endorsed the National Climate Change Adaptation Framework, at its meeting on 13 April 2007, as the basis for government action on adaptation over the next five to seven years.
The Adaptation Framework includes possible actions to assist the most vulnerable sectors and regions, such as agriculture, biodiversity, fisheries, forestry, settlements and infrastructure, coastal, water resources, tourism and health to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
The Australian Government has also committed funding of up to $126 million over five years for climate change adaptation.
The Department of Climate Change is the Australian Government's focal point for climate change adaptation, will play a key role in implementing parts of the National Climate Change Adaptation Framework endorsed by COAG in April 2007. The Department will:
Architects, engineers, natural resource managers and planners have crucial roles in building Australia's ability to adapt to a changing climate, in particular, in choosing appropriate and practical adaptation strategies that reduce the vulnerability of our settlements and infrastructure, natural ecosystems and water resources to the impacts of climate change.
The Climate Change Adaptation Skills for Professionals Program is providing small grants to tertiary education and training institutions and professional associations to revise or develop professional development and accreditation programs geared towards architects, engineers, natural resource managers and planners.
The Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility will be hosted by a leading science institution and will lead the research community in a national interdisciplinary effort to help government, industry and community decision makers manage the risks from the potential impacts of climate change. Proposals are now being invited from existing research institutions to establish this important Facility.
Proposals will be accepted from those research institutions with the capacity to provide national research leadership, foster collaboration among research institutions and deliver cross-sectoral benefits right across Australia.
Australian Government funding of up to $50 million over five years will be available to support the work of the Facility. The successful organisation will be expected to bring additional cash and/or in-kind resources to support the Facility.
NOTE: Proposals for the Facility closed on 1 September 2007.
The National Climate Change Adaptation Program aims to commence preparing Australian governments and vulnerable industries and communities for the unavoidable impacts of climate change.
