New research has found that the world’s baobab trees all evolved on Madagascar 21 million years ago. Sometime in the last 12 million years, they floated on piles of debris to Australia and Africa.
Our tallest trees are world champions when it comes to capturing and storing carbon, but they don’t like the heat. Climate change will trigger mass tree deaths in Tasmania. Here’s what can be done.
Our expert in disaster recovery and climate change adaptation calls for a longer-term response to conflict zones affected by severe flooding, such as Libya and Pakistan.
The results of a new study are clear: resilient water governance systems are effective and enjoy strong public support. The time is now to build resilience into our global water systems.
When economists model climate impacts, they look to what past weather shocks have done to the economy. But this does not remotely capture what climate change could do.
Alex Lo, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Faith Chan, University of Nottingham
Flood and cyclone damage shows why turning Auckland and other urban parts of New Zealand into ‘sponge cities’ is the right idea. But overseas experience from China and beyond shows it won’t be cheap.
Storms, flooding and other climate-related events highlight the urgent need for a national managed retreat framework. Past experiences suggests it will involve many challenges.
The federal election presents an opportunity to promote plans for improving national disaster governance and resilience. But the silence on these issues in political debates has been remarkable.
Disaster-affected communities form the backbone of any disaster response. But survivors are often underutilised in shaping plans for their community’s longer-term recovery and preparedness efforts.
We need to urgently address the gaps in Australia’s capacity to manage disasters that have widened since climate adaptation was relegated to the back burner.
Disasters highlight the cost of society’s love of efficiency. Nature, in contrast, favors resilience. Being more like nature offers benefits for society, especially in the face of the climate crisis.
A holistic view of climate change risk considers climate hazards, exposure, vulnerability and the responses to these. It also takes into account how multiple risks interact.