A joint initiative from the cities of Holdfast Bay, Marion, Mitcham and Onkaparinga in South Australia has completed an initial assessment into the regions economic, environmental and social vulnerabilities associated with climate change.
Resilient South as the initiative is know, with the help of over 60 Project Champions has completed an Integrated Vulnerability Assessment that will assist the group as it enters the final stage of the project.
The Project Champions who attended three intensive workshops in February provided extremely valuable local knowledge and specialist expertise, giving Resilient South confidence that the assessment will provide a sound basis for producing the regional climate change adaptation plan.
The Integrated Vulnerability Assessment will be available on Resilient South’s website soon.
It considered the vulnerability of 73 indicators to a range of climate change impacts including bushfire frequency and coastal inundation.
Those areas where the Southern region is vulnerable include local manufacturing, cliff erosion and people geographically isolated from transport services.
The assessment also made clear that some areas are more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Demand for emergency evacuation centres and facilities, gross regional product from retail trade, education and, training, costs of waste management, drinking water delivery and McLaren Vale groundwater quality and quantity all showed they could withstand the pressures of climate change.
The Resilient South team is now working to identify what actions we could and should be taken to adapt to the projected changes in climate.
