Adaptation Strategies: Australia

CSIRO

CSIRO, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world. The CSIRO’s Climate Adaptation Flagship is enabling Australia to adapt more effectively to the impacts of climate change and variability and informing national planning, regulation and investment decisions.

Australia is a land of droughts and fires, storms and flooding rains; the driest inhabited continent with a dramatically variable climate of extremes. Australia’s climate shapes:

• Lives and livelihoods;
• Economic activities;
• Social wellbeing;
  
• The unique natural environment.
  
  

Responding to Climate Change

The National Research Flagships Program is delivering scientific solutions to advance Australia’s most vital national objectives. As of June 2013, more than A$100M had been committed to support collaborative activities within the CSIRO National Research Flagships Program. Flagships are partnerships of:

• Leading Australian scientists;
• Research institutions;
• Commercial companies;
• CSIRO;
• Selected international partners.
  

The CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship contributes to mitigation through developments in energy technologies.

The Climate Adaptation Flagship

The Climate Adaptation Flagship tackles the second platform, delivering the best available scientific information and expertise to support Australia's efforts to adapt to climate change today in a practical and effective way. The Flagship's research is led by some of Australia's pre-eminent climate scientists, and will add significant value to how they adapt.

The linked issue of climate and water supply is being addressed through the Water for Healthy Country Flagship. To learn more about these different flagships, go to the CSIRO website.