Community awareness about how to deal with climate change is something that councils around Australia are facing. We worked with Moreton Bay Regional Council to plan how to address climate change challenges in their communities.
Specifically we looked at how to best communicate climate change-related risk and build resilience.
Preparing for the challenge of extreme weather
The Council’s objective was to prepare the community to deal more effectively with the more frequent, larger and longer lasting extreme weather events that Australia is experiencing. This includes heatwaves and sea level rises – a particular concern for a coastal council like Moreton Bay.
Climate change challenge 1: Heatwaves
Australians expect heat waves. One of the climate change challenges we’re facing is that we’re expecting to face more heat waves.
This is expected to increase the number of heat-related illnesses and deaths in Australia, particularly within more `at risk’ community sectors, including:
- the elderly
- the very young
- people with a disability
- CALD communities
- low income households
- those with existing illnesses.
Climate change challenge 2: Rising sea levels
Sea levels on the east coast of Australia are currently predicted to rise by 1m by the end of this century. This will mean:
- increased flooding in low-lying coastal areas
- more coastal erosion
- more beaches lost
- higher storm surges.
- this will affect infrastructure, industry and local environments.
Meeting climate change challenges
Moreton Bay Regional Council wanted to help the community understand the steps they need to take to cope with climate change challenges:
- Raise awareness within the community (particularly `at risk’ groups) of the very real risks that extreme weather event-related conditions pose to their health, safety and property
- Facilitate behaviour change that practically builds both individual and community level preparedness for climate change-related extreme weather events. How to reduce their impact on health, safety and property
At Articulous we really enjoy working with the challenges that the future presents us, particularly with ‘tough’ projects.
