Over 1.5 million Australians live in areas at risk from rising sea levels by 2050, according to the first National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA).
Australian sea levels will rise by 0.14 metres by 2050 if global temperatures increase by 1.5-2ºC, with an extra 24 days of coastal flooding each year. Australia’s Government will announce its emissions reduction target for 2035 this week.
“One thing that is very clear from this climate assessment is that our whole country has a lot at stake; that every Australian, regardless of where they live, has a lot at stake,” said Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen.
Low-lying communities near soft shorelines are currently the most vulnerable to a rise in sea levels, the NCRA said. By 2090, 34% of Australia's coastal communities could be at high risk.
Coastal urban centres are also at particular risk from rising sea levels, as “the relatively high value of assets exposed to hazards will increase the impacts if risks are realised,” according to the NCRA. Flooding and greater rainfall is set to raise economic costs from property damage and business disruptions.
Areas of above-average climate risk will include an additional 35,000 small businesses by 2030.
Australia is also likely to experience more frequent extreme heatwaves, increased risk of bushfires, and longer droughts in the southwest. Maintaining global temperatures at 1.5-3ºC above pre-industrial temperatures will halt some effects of climate change, the NCRA said.
“Natural disasters will increase most dramatically in Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, and Tasmania. And the amount spent on disaster recovery will increase dramatically over the coming decades,” said Bowen.
Australia’s 2035 emissions reductions target will be submitted to the United Nations later this week, part of its commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement.
The Government will also release plans on reaching net zero emissions by 2050 and on reducing pollutions in six economic sectors alongside the emissions target.
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