Australia is experiencing the effects of global climate change. Our average land and sea temperatures have increased. Despite large natural variation we are also seeing changes to rainfall patterns, increased fire danger, and rising sea levels.
For the 5-month period starting December 2022, serious deficiencies (totals in the lowest 10% since 1900) are in place in south-east Queensland, pockets of the North West Slopes and Plains and coastal north-eastern New South Wales, and western Tasmania.
Impacts of climate change in Australia. Australia is experiencing higher temperatures, more extreme droughts, fire seasons, floods and more extreme weather due to climate change. Rising sea levels add to the intensity of high-sea-level events and threaten housing and infrastructure.
Australia's environment is generally deteriorating
There have been continued declines in the amount and condition of our natural capital – native vegetation, soil, wetlands, reefs, rivers and biodiversity. Such resources benefit Australians by providing food, clean water, cultural connections and more.
racism and discrimination continue to be significant social problems in Australia, impacting individuals and communities from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Australia has relatively low levels of air pollution compared with other countries, but the impacts are greater in areas with more socioeconomically disadvantaged people.
By 2050, the Thredbo area in the NSW Snowy Mountains will have a longer and hotter winter in store, with temperature increases of 4.8°C in the next few decades. And Sydney's western suburbs, urban areas like Penrith are set to experience 86 additional days of temperatures higher than 30°C.
Australia's average temperature has increased on average by 1.44 ± 0.24 °C since national records began in 1910. Since 1950, every decade has been warmer than the decade before.
Australia and New Zealand's sea levels will rise at rates higher than the global average. There'll be a 50% increase in bushfires – the Black Summer Bushfires were just the beginning. Floods follow fires, so those heavy rainfalls brought by La Niña will become the norm.
In terms of rainfall, Australia is the driest inhabited continent, and the amount of rainwater that enters rivers is also very low. On average, only 12% of rainfall flows into rivers in Australia, compared to 39% for Europe and 52% for North America.
The rangelands of arid and semi-arid Australia
Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world; 70% of it is either arid or semi arid land.
In Australia, many places are running out of water, but the amount of water on the planet is fixed. We can't actually run out of it. So, we need to understand where we are within the cycle, and how water resources are moving and changing.
Australia is known for many things, including swathes of tropical beaches, marine reserves, Aboriginal culture, cute koalas, rolling wine country, and lush rainforests.
Australia is seen as well-placed to export renewable energy, given the country's abundant land, wind, and solar resources, and take advantage of the emerging opportunity to store and export this energy, with particular potential for green hydrogen and ammonia.
Air Pollution
One of the biggest environmental problems today is outdoor air pollution.
El Niño in 2023 becoming more likely, which would result in dry, warm weather across eastern Australia. The first El Niño phase of the Pacific Ocean in eight years is becoming more likely in 2023, increasing the odds of drier and warmer weather across eastern Australia.
Tasmania scored highly in the report in terms of its climate, electricity supply, agricultural resources and population density. The study states that rising populations and energy use have led to climate change, increased risk of pandemics and ecological destruction.
Marble Bar, Western Australia
Marble Bar claims to be the hottest town in Australia. It holds the record for the highest average monthly maximum temperature, which is 41.5°C in December.
Three major economic centres are set to become uninhabitable by the end of the century, with global temperatures on track to warm by 2.7C. Darwin, Broome and Port Hedland are predicted to be pushed outside the “human climate niche” — that is, the temperature and humidity conditions in which humans can survive.
Civilisations could collapse by 2100. Despite only dealing with probabilities, scientists predict without a determined effort to reduce emissions, the globe will likely experience 4 degrees of warming by 2100. “That makes large parts of Australia and other continents uninhabitable,” Prof Flannery warns.
Australia topped the list as the least polluted country in the world, with 7 cities in the top 25. Of the 25 least polluted cities in the world with the best air quality, Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Estonia) dominated the rankings with some of the cleanest air in the world in 2022.
Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world, monitored by the Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station. The lack of pollution is due to the position of Tasmania in the Southern Ocean, far from other landmasses.