(Contributors: University of Southern Queensland, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, Qld Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, University of Canberra (Institute for Applied Ecology) and regional NRM organisations (Condamine Alliance, Queensland Murray-Darling Committee, Border Rivers-Gwydir CMA, Namoi CMA and Central West CMA).
Regional natural resource management (NRM) can benefit from effectively integrating climate change information into strategic planning and decision-making. In this presentation we will explore what “effectively integrating climate change information” means in the context of the Central Slopes Cluster project. Exploring both the challenges faced by regional NRM organisations in using climate information effectively as well as strategies aimed at improving the integration of climate information.
Over the next four years, project researchers and regional NRM organisations in the Central Slopes (like many others around Australia) will be collating relevant existing knowledge to deliver accessible, region- specific information on how climate change will impact on the land and natural resources of their area. This will involve identifying information gaps, conducting integrated scenario analysis and developing spatial mapping to enable the visualisation of threats and opportunities across the region.
The Central Slopes Cluster project aims to deliver information products that will help regional NRM organisations and land managers improve outcomes relating specifically to carbon sequestration; cropping viability; soil conservation and ground cover; changes to the abundance and distribution of plants and animals; and ecology in the face of changing climate. Ultimately, it is hoped that the project will assist in improving regional capacity for ongoing adaptation to climate change.