Sarah Hoyal and Bek Christensen, NRM Regions Australia; Jen Barwick, Natural Solutions Consultancy; Rachel Morgain and Ainslie Macdonald, University of Melbourne
Report making the case for natural infrastructure as a cost-effective approach to climate resilience.
While economic and social costs from disasters continue to mount across Australia, this report shows that the evidence is clear that natural infrastructure is a cost-effective approach to disaster risk reduction at scale, delivers multiple benefits for communities, economies and biodiversity, and is deployable now.
Key recommendations are made across five areas, that if adopted would help Australia leverage full potential from natural infrastructure:
- Healthy Country Healthy People: Increase investment in First Nations co-stewardship and leadership of natural resource management programs, and give a voice to Indigenous knowledge and leadership.
- Value Natural Infrastructure: Incorporate natural values into government financial decision making.
- Catalyse Private Sector Action: Structure government policy to catalyse private sector frameworks for valuing and investing in natural infrastructure.
- Increase Supply: Invest in Australia’s established network of local, regional and cross-regional aggregators – including Indigenous land management organisations, regional NRM organisations, and local governments – to accelerate the delivery of natural infrastructure.
- Build Capacity: Invest in closing the knowledge and awareness gaps and strengthening the Australian evidence base to support scaling of natural infrastructure for disaster risk reduction.
