Climate change poses a growing challenge for the management of Commonwealth parks and gardens.
Increasing temperatures, sea level rise and changes in rainfall patterns will lead to changes in ecosystems and the abundance, distribution and composition of native species. Climate change may also exacerbate existing pressures from weeds and introduced pest animals. Changing landscapes and climatic conditions will also have implications for existing recreational and cultural values.
Climate change impacts will vary widely across the Parks Australia estate, and different responses will be appropriate in different places.
The first defence against climate change is a resilient landscape. Parks Australia is actively managing our parks and gardens to maintain healthy ecosystems, which will give flora and fauna the best chance to adapt to climate change.
The Director of National Parks Climate Change Statement 2023 outlines the Director’s broad approach to assessing and responding to the effects of a changing climate.
Key responses
Parks Australia is drawing on a range of sources of information, including climate models and the knowledge of Traditional Owners, local communities and conservation managers, to better understand how the values of parks and gardens may be affected by a changing climate.
The resilience of our parks and gardens in the face of climate change is dependent both on the rate of change and the ability of the areas to cope. A focus of park management is to reduce the pressure of invasive species and inappropriate fire regimes to give species and communities their best chance of adapting and evolving. We are also considering how management or goals may need to be adjusted in response to changing conditions.
Operational activities such as electricity use, transport, housing design, development of new infrastructure and waste management all contribute to the carbon footprint. Activities such as revegetation projects, fire and pest management also have implications for the carbon cycle. Parks Australia is putting in place strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of our parks and gardens.
In planning and delivering these responses, we work with scientific researchers, other government agencies, Traditional Owners, local communities, and stakeholders to build knowledge. We also collaborate to identify, implement, and coordinate actions, and to share information.
Read more
- The Director of National Parks Climate Change Statement 2023 outlines the Director’s broad approach to assessing and responding to the effects of a changing climate.
- The Climate change toolkit for World Heritage properties in Australia provides a toolkit for managing those parks in World Heritage Areas (including Kakadu National Park, Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, and some Australian Marine Parks).
- In 2021, at the UN climate change conference in Glasgow (COP26), Parks Australia joined with over 30 other protected area agencies to sign a joint statement on climate change and biodiversity loss.
- Australia’s National Climate Risk Assessment provides a detailed understanding of climate risks for Australia.
- Australia’s National Adaptation Plan establishes a framework for adapting to the physical climate risks that are nationally significant.