NRM Regions Australia has responded to the Australian Government’s release of the National Climate Adaptation Plan Issues Paper and first pass National Climate Risk Assessment. The Issues Paper discusses the Australian Government’s potential roles and approach to addressing the most significant climate risks we are facing - including to our environment, agriculture, water, and to our regional, remote and First Nations communities.
Regional NRM organisations work with partners across Australia to invest in adaptation to climate risks – across landscapes, communities and regional economies. With climate risks and extreme events becoming increasingly pressing, growing the resilience of our landscapes and waterways is essential to securing the future of our food and water security, environmental and cultural values, and the wellbeing of our communities.
Our submission suggests nine key areas for action to address these critical, and increasing risks. These include:
• Recognising the already-crucial role of Australian Government investments in climate adaptation and resilience through our regional NRM infrastructure
• Strengthening the central role of NRM, through our partnerships, in supporting the knitting together of national and strategic leadership with regional and local solutions
• Recognising the centrality of landscape risks, alongside water security, as a cross-cutting issue across all domains of climate risk
• Highlighting the crucial and under-recognised role for nature-based climate solutions as highly adaptable, low cost, low regrets climate adaptation solutions
• Mainstreaming support for climate adaptation across NRM programs, and natural resource management as a strategy to address adaptation across a wide range of programs and portfolios.
• Updating climate-smart regional planning and investing in regional data - including guidance and accessibility of downscaled regional climate data and knowledge.
The 54 regional NRM organisations are an essential piece of Australia’s climate adaptation infrastructure. We look forward to working closely with the Government toward the next phase of the NCRA and beyond, drawing on NRM-based solutions to strengthen our climate resilience.