Australia's Coasts - Impacts of Climate Change

Climate change impacts
Research activities & reports

Australia's coastal zone is under increasing pressure with approximately 80% of Australians now living within 50 km of the coast. The coast also supports important activities and features such as: infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, coastal wetlands and estuaries, mangroves and other coastal vegetation, coral reefs, heritage areas and threatened species or habitats.

The likely impacts of climate change will increase the challenge of sustainable management of the coastal zone. Current coastal development patterns may be increasing coastal vulnerability to climate change. Impacts are likely to be complex, both physically and socioeconomically, and will vary from place to place.

There is potential for considerable damage to low-lying coastal settlements and infrastructure, particularly where populations, tourism and capital investment are large and growing, and to sensitive coastal ecosystems such as coral reefs.

Adapting to climate change

Beaches, estuaries, coastal wetlands, and reefs have adapted naturally to past changes in climate and sea level over long time scales. However, now and in the future they are likely to face faster rates of change. In many cases landward migration may be blocked by human land uses and infrastructure. Adaptation options include integrated coastal zone assessments and management; redesign, rebuilding, or relocation of capital assets; protection of beaches, dunes and maritime infrastructure; development zone control; and retreat plans.

Climate change impacts

Potential direct physical and ecosystem effects	Potential secondary and indirect impacts
Sea level rise
Increased coastal erosion Increased inundation of coastal wetlands and lowlands Increased risk of flooding and storm damage Increased salinisation of surface and ground waters Increased risk to coastal housing and infrastructure.	Infrastructure and economic activity affected
Increases in sea surface temperature
Increased coral bleaching Pole ward species migration Increased algal blooms	Impact on tourism
Altered rainfall and runoff patterns (local increases/decreases)
Altered river sediment supply Altered lowland flood risk Water quality/nutrient impacts	Implications for erosion and flooding
Altered wave climate
Altered erosion and accretion
Altered frequency of extreme weather events
Increased waves and surges Altered cyclone zones Further damage to coastal infrastructure and natural ecosystems

Synthesised from IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and SURVAS( Synthesis and Upscaling of sea-level Rise Vulnerability Assessment Studies) summaries.

Imacge Showing Potential Vulnerabilities to Coastal Impacts

Illustration of potential vulnerabilities to climate change impacts of a typical, tropical inhabited coastal regime, indicating the dynamic nature of the coastal zone and the potential for multiple stresses. Note: Text rectangles describe the coastal systems illustrated, while text ovals indicate the potential climate change impacts
Source: CSIRO

Research activities

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) and the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council (NRMMC) have both identified the coast as a priority for climate change adaptation. A number of initiatives are addressing this issue, including an NRMMC project: Assessing Australia's Coastal Vulnerability to Climate Change - Key Elements of a First-Pass National Assessment (2006-2008).

Reports

These reports and research activities provide information for decision makers on the coastal impacts of climate change:

Impacts of climate change on Australian marine life - 2006
- provides the first broad synthesis of current knowledge of climate change impacts on Australian marine life. It assesses climate impacts by (1) reviewing the scientific literature on climate change impacts on Australian marine life in the context of known impacts elsewhere in the world, and (2) developing an indicator-based ranking of the vulnerability of marine life to projected climate changes in the seven Large Marine Domains adjacent to continental Australia.
Vulnerability to Climate Change of Australia's Coastal Zone: Analysis of gaps in methods, data and system thresholds - 2006:
(1) Provides a concise summary of the extent of knowledge (including gaps) of methods for assessing potential impacts of climate change on coastal systems; the data required to conduct such assessments; scientific understanding of the sensitivity of coastal systems to climate change, including climate-related thresholds; and (2) identifies and prioritises research needs that will lead to a feasible and practical vulnerability assessment within a reasonable timeframe.
International assessments of the vulnerability of the coastal zone to climate change including an Australian perspective - 2006
- examines what global coastal vulnerability assessments say about Australia, and considers global, and in some cases national, assessments of vulnerability to climate change to evaluate the implications for the Australian coast, or to assess the applicability of particular approaches and methods to Australia.
Assessing and Mapping Australia's Coastal Vulnerability to Climate Change: Expert Technical Workshop - 2005
- an expert technical workshop designed to identify key issues, share information, seek clarification and develop recommendations on the knowledge and methodologies required to assess, map and communicate Australia's coastal vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.