National Climate Risk Assessment: Inside the grim future facing Australia as ... trends now
The first National Climate Risk Assessment report hints at a dystopian future for Australia if it fails to properly prepare for a multitude of threats.
The report released on Tuesday, produced by Australian Government's Department of Climate Change, is a first run at assessing the gamut of climate risks Australia could face as the planet warms.
In all, it identifies 56 nationally significant risks but boils them down to 11 highly dangerous ones that go to the heart of human survival.
They include access to food and water, and Australia's ability to respond to more frequent and more severe disasters.
Australia's first climate change assessment has issued a dire warning for the future of the nation, if the country does not take steps to address looming threats as the planet warms (pictured a farmer inspects a dry dam)
They include how warming will affect human health, and the condition of land and ocean ecosystems upon which everything depends.
They also cover risks for Australia's economy, including the supply of basic goods and services.
On food security, it warns the changing climate could have vast impacts on Australia's ability to produce food, in turn posing risks for human health and nutrition.
On water, it warns climate change will likely lead to prolonged drought, increases in extreme heat, more variable rainfall, and more severe flooding.
'These impacts will result in increased variability and possibly reduced quality, quantity, accessibility and availability of water supplies,' it says, while increasing competition between communities and industry.
On the economy, it says climate related volatility, such as financial shocks, crises and tipping points, are difficult to quantify 'but may create macroeconomic shocks that are felt across all
