Learning from Regional Climate Analogues: Summary
Authors: Jon Kellett and David Ness
Year: 2011
This factsheet summarizes the findings of a project carried out in order to test if: (i) there are regions of Australia, defined by their location, that currently experience climatic conditions which are indicative of future climates elsewhere, and (ii) if these conditions will affect institutional policy and practice. It first established pairs of locations in three states (WA, QLD and SA), made up of the Target (for which we seek to understand more about the future climate) and the Analogue (currently experiencing the climate predicted for the Target). Overall the analysis demonstrated that state-based policy such as land use planning and health tends to result in a situation where it is difficult to discern differences between Analogues and Targets. In some instances local policy makers are frustrated by this situation but have little power to change it. But in other policy areas it was clear that Analogues were responding to climate driven factors such as heat and drought in ways that held potential lessons for Target communities, particularly as their climate changes. These differences were prominent in floodplain management, some infrastructure services and some health programs.
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