Final Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Published Today. (August 9, 2007)

    The full 20-chapter report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), including regional chapters, was released today and is available online at www.ipcc-wg2.org. Chapter 11 deals specifically with Australia and New Zealand.

Click here to download the pdf file of Chapter 11

Australia's coordinating lead author for the Australian and New Zealand chapter, Kevin Hennessy said: "Australia has responded with the Federal Government establishing a CSIRO National Research Flagship in Climate Adaptation and the Australian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation through the Australian Greenhouse Office. However there remain significant environmental, economic and social barriers to implementing adaptation plans. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will also be necessary to slow global warming and delay or avoid more serious impacts."

Key findings for Australia include:

• As a result of reduced precipitation and increased evaporation, water security problems are projected to intensify by 2030 in southern and eastern Australia.

• Loss of biodiversity is projected to occur by 2020 in ecologically-rich sites including the Great Barrier Reef and Queensland Wet Tropics. Other sites at risk include Kakadu wetlands, southwest Australia, sub-Antarctic islands and Alpine national parks.

• Ongoing coastal development and population growth in areas such as Cairns and south-east Queensland are projected to exacerbate risks from sea-level rise and increases in the severity and frequency of storms and coastal flooding by 2050.

• Risks to major infrastructure are likely to increase. By 2030, design criteria for extreme events are very likely to be exceeded more frequently. Risks include failure of floodplain protection and urban drainage/sewerage, increased storm and fire damage, and more heatwaves, causing more deaths and more blackouts.

• Production from agriculture and forestry is projected to decline by 2030 over much of southern and eastern Australia due to increased drought and fire.