Climate Change Adaptation Plan for Government - myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theClimate Change Adaptation Plan for Government. Answer: Introduction This report paper is about the climate change adaptation plan in Australia, Melbourne at the Wyndham City. The major effect of climate change is global warming which is the gradual rise in temperature of earths crust. Adaptation is a term used in outlining the reactions of the Wyndham City Council which include emergency management reactions. The major stakeholders involved in the climate change adaptation plan include communities, businesses, and government. The buildings and other assets that are involved in the climate change adaptation in Wyndham include the building climate resilient infrastructures such as roads, drains, and buildings. The location in which the organization is located is a few meters from the city making the people working in this organization be to directly affected by the climate conditions which are effecting the while city. The climate change adaptation plan involves numerous strategies put in place by the concerned people in ensuring that the factors causing climate change are encountered or the effects of change in climate are dealt with(Bruce C. Glavovic, 2013). The climate change adaptation plan gives commitment and map from the Wyndham City Council in addressing the direction provided in the Executive order and the Climate Action Plan by the President of Australia. The country and the world, in general, have experienced changes in the climatic conditions and more changes are still expected to happen. Due to this reason, Wyndham has put in place numerous strategies with an aim of reducing the emissions and also mitigating the risks of change in climate(Garnett, 2013). These strategies which are currently being implemented by the council are aimed at establishing adaptation excellence, constructing infrastructures that are climate resilient, protection of biodiversity, empowering the community, and managing heat reduction and water use. Effects of Climate Change in Wyndham Top Down The following are some of the effects of climate change which are important resilience approaches and risk management: Loss of Biodiversity: The change in climatic conditions have resulted in the extinction of numerous plants and animals that at one particular time inhabited the Wyndham City. conditions are brought by the prolonged drought or high temperatures caused by depletion of the ozone layer by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and pollution. The majority of people who are affected by the loss of biodiversity in Wyndham are those practising agriculture(Great Britain. Department for Business, 2011). The decline in the availability of water: The decrease in the level of water supply in the country is as a result of the climatic change which has caused the drought seasons to be prolonged ad shorter rainy seasons. The factories who require water for their operations can no longer get enough water supply as well as the ordinary citizens living in Wyndham(Hennessey, 2011). Extreme Weather Conditions: The extreme and unpredictable weather conditions are currently being experienced in Australia which calls for climate change adaptation plan. The extreme weather conditions have threatened the lives of numerous animals and plants making the majority of them to be extinct. The prediction of weather is important in the determination of planting seasons by the farmers in Australia; currently, the weather condition is the place is characterized by prolonged droughts and rainfall seasons(Kerstin Krellenberg, 2011). Bottom Up The following are some of the effects of climate change which are critical during the process of vulnerability reduction approaches: Health effects: The change in climate has really affected the health conditions of the citizens in the country which is caused by air condition. Some of the health effects which are caused by the climatic change include skin cancer and lung cancer. The majority of the people who are affected are the people staying near industries where air and water pollution is rampant. Citizens have to spend extra money as they seek for treatment of these health conditions leading to rising in expenses among families(Knieling, 2016). Rise in sea levels: The rise in the levels of the sea and oceans have been witnessed due to the melting of ice sheets and glaciers. There have been increased risks of floods especially in regions that are plains. The warming of the earth is the major reason of the melting of polar ice and glaciers. There are numerous people who depend on the supply of water from glaciers during the dry seasons(Marianne Fay, 2014). Economic Effects: The change in climate is to be blamed for the stunted growth of the economy in many sectors of the city. The low production of agricultural commodities which is caused by prolonged droughts in many areas where agriculture is being practised(Peter Kinrade, 2014). Adaptation Actions Reduction of urban heat and balancing the use of water The urban heat and water use are the factors that are caused by the climate change in the country. These two factors are caused by the decline in rainfall in Wyndham and also the rise in the temperatures of the place. The urban heat can be minimized through planting trees by the use of landscape water. These factors have are currently being dealt with through automated irrigation system and increase in planting of trees in the country(RAN-AP, 2012). There is an implementation of Water irrigation plan in Wyndham which is meant at improving the efficiency by 10%, reduction in the cost of labour through the management of irrigation system by 30%, and improvement turf management. Every year, 7250 trees are being planted in this city through the support of the program of Greening the West which is led by City West Water and Lead West(Rajib Shaw, 2011). Empowering a resilient society It has been proved that those who are at high risks of being affected by the climate change are the sick and the elderly who are living alone. There is such kind of individuals in Wyndham, however, there is also society robust which has contributed to the resilience of the community. The empowering the resilient of the community can be done through district planning processes and building the society resilience(Reid, 2016). The process of building district planning has played a critical role in the empowerment of resilience society through engaging the society with an aim of improving the city. There has been an establishment of Advisory Committees and District Plans which sort to implement an approach that is location-based so as to report and plan the work of the community. There has also been the establishment of the project of Western Areas between Melton and Wyndham which sort of linking the community with other regions around it(World Meteorological Organization, 2010). Protection of the Biodiversity There is need to protect the diversity of Wyndham which have been threatened by the change in climatic conditions. Majority of plants and animals have become extinct since the current harsh conditions that are characterized by prolonged droughts and insufficient water supply. Over the past decade, the city has lost critical and irreplaceable marine, freshwater, and land ecosystem. These ecosystems are located in coastal estuaries, river woodland, and Victorian Volcanic Plains. The current biodiversity of the city is experiencing changes such as alteration of hydrology which has altered the local vegetation, the rise in the level of seawater, and accumulation of salt in low lying regions in the municipality(Marianne Fay, 2014). The current efforts directed towards conservation pursue to advocating for better protection of the natural environment, development of pro-active and partnership activities and promotions with society, improved connectivity of the habitats and prevention of fragmentation, as well as protecting, enhancing, managing, and monitoring the natural biodiversity. Some of the actions taken to encounter climate change affecting biodiversity include setting up of policies and actions directed to educating and monitoring biodiversity of the place, activities directed towards conservation through planting trees, management of weed, taking part in development of Adaptation Plan of the city, and monitoring of revegetation work such as adaptive management(Garnett, 2013). Conclusion This report paper is about the climate change adaptation plan in Australia, Melbourne at the Wyndham City. Wyndham has put in place numerous strategies with an aim of reducing the emissions and also mitigating the risks of change in climate. These strategies which are currently being implemented by the council are aimed at establishing adaptation excellence, constructing infrastructures that are climate resilient, protection of biodiversity, empowering the community, and managing heat reduction and water use Recommendation For proper tackling of the problem of climate change, there should be a combined effort directed by the Australian government and not by just a particular city of Wyndham. This is because the change in climate that is happening in the regions surrounding this particular city is to affect Wyndham directly despite putting in place necessary measure to prevent such occurrences. The nationwide strategies may include setting up a particular date for tree planting season in an effort to reduce the heat level in the whole country, encouraging protection of biodiversity in the whole country through educating the citizens, and empowering resilient societies living in different regions in the country. Bibliography Bruce C. Glavovic, G. P. S., 2013. Adapting to Climate Change: Lessons from Natural Hazards Planning. Adelaide: Springer Science Business. Garnett, S., 2013. Climate Change Adaptation Plan for Australian Birds. Perth: Stephen Garnett. Great Britain. Department for Business, I. a. S., 2011. BIS Climate Change Adaptation Plan. London: BIS. Hennessey, R., 2011. Community Adaptation Project: Whitehorse Climate Change Adaptation Plan: Draft 2. Sydney: Northern Climate ExChange. Kerstin Krellenberg, B. H., 2011. Climate Adaptation Melbourne. Melbourne: Springer Science Business Media. Knieling, J., 2016. Climate Adaptation Governance in Cities and Regions: Theoretical Fundamentals and Practical Evidence. Sydney: John Wiley Sons. Marianne Fay, R. B. J. E., 2014. Adapting to Climate Change in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Colorado: World Bank Publications. Peter Kinrade, N. W., 2014. Coastal Councils Climate Change Adaptation Plan. Melbourne: Hunter Councils NSW. Rajib Shaw, F. M. A. I., 2011. Climate Change Adaptation Actions in Australia. Perth: Springer Science Business Media. RAN-AP, 2012. National Action Plan for Climate Change Adaptation (RAN-API).. Paris: RAN-AP. Reid, H., 2016. Community-based Adaptation to Climate Change. Hobart: IIED. World Meteorological Organization, G. F. f. C. S., 2010. Climate Services for Supporting Climate Change Adaptation: Supplement to the Technical Guidelines for the National Adaptation Plan Process. Melbourne: World Meteorological Organization, Global Framework for Climate Services.