WWF contacts
Richard Leck
Climate Change Strategy Leader - Coral Triangle
WWF Australia,
Sydney Main
+61 7 3211 2521
Climate change impacts in Australia - what the IPCC 4th Assessment Report has found:
- Eight mass bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef since 1979, triggered by unusually high sea surface temperatures, and no serious events known prior to 1979 [11.2.3.]
- Predictions of a phase switch to algal dominance on the Great Barrier Reef in 2030 to 2050 (After bleaching, algae quickly colonise dead corals, possibly inhibiting later coral recruitment) [Box 4.4].
- Saltwater intrusion into freshwater swamps since 1950s in Northern Territory accelerating since 1980s possibly associated with sea level and precipitation changes [11.2.3]
- Extensive loss/conversion of habitat in Kakadu wetland due to sea level rise and saltwater intrusion with temperature increase of 2.8°C above pre-industrial levels [Table 4.1].
- Southern and eastern Australia: Semi-arid and arid areas will suffer a decrease of water resources [3.4, 3.7].
- Water security: Reduction in water supply for irrigation, cities, industry and riverine environment in those areas where streamflow declines, e.g. in the Murray-Darling Basin annual mean flow may drop 10-25% by 2050 [Table 11.7].
- The frequency of bird-breeding events in the Macquarie Marshes (Murray-Darling basin) is predicted to decrease with reduced streamflow, as breeding requires a certain minimum annual flow [3.5.1].
- In alpine zones, reductions in duration and depth of snow cover are likely to alter distributions of communities, favouring an expansion of woody vegetation into herbfields. More fires are likely in alpine peatlands. Alpine vertebrates dependent on snow cover for hibernation are likely to be at risk of extinction [11.7].
- Observed range expansions up in elevation due to increased temperature of three Macropods and four feral mammal [1.3.5.2].
- Amphibian extinction on mountains due to climate-change induced disease outbreaks with temperature increase of 0.6°C above pre-industrial levels [Table 4.1].
- 47% of appropriate habitat in Queensland lost with temperature increase of 1.9°C above pre-industrial levels7-14% of reptiles, 8-18% of frogs, 7-10% of birds, and 10-15% of mammals committed to extinction [Table 4.1].
- Up to about year 2050, enhanced growing conditions from higher carbon dioxide concentrations, longer growing seasons and less frost risk are likely for agriculture, horticulture and forestry over parts of southern Australia, provided adequate water is available (high confidence) [11.4.3, 11.4.4].
- Floods, landslides, droughts and storm surges are very likely to become more frequent and intense, and snow and frost are likely to become less frequent [11.3.1].
- Coastal inundation and erosion, especially in regions exposed to cyclones and storm surges. Coastal development is exacerbating the climate risks (e.g. tropical and southeast Queensland) [Table 11.7]
