 |
Click
here for information on the application process, and to apply for
RIRDC scholarships
Objective:
To increase the adoption
of climate risk management amongst farmers and natural resource managers
and improve seasonal forecasting.
Key
long term strategies
The new program will have
five themes:
-
Seasonal forecasting
-
Water resources
-
Agricultural applications
-
Adaptation to climate change
-
Adoption and communications
Background
The understanding of anthropogenic
warming and cooling influences on climate has improved over the last decade.
There is now a very high confidence that human activities since 1750 have
had a warming effect globally (Summary for Policy Makers Intergovernmental
Panel Climate Change WG1 Fourth Assessment Report February 2007).
Climate change poses challenges
for all sectors in the Australian economy, and particularly for agriculture
with its dependence on natural resources. Agriculture has high exposure,
particularly in regions such as the Murray Darling Basin, central Queensland
and south western Western Australia. There may also be opportunities resulting
from climate change such as growth of new agricultural industries.
The Australian Government
recently released the National Agriculture & Climate Change Action
Plan 2006–2009 with four key aspects:
Adaptation strategies to build
resilience into agricultural systems
Mitigation strategies to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions
R&D to enhance the agricultural
sector’s capacity to respond to climate change
Awareness and communication
to inform decision-making by primary producers and rural communities
There has been over a decade
of R&D investment in short-term climate variability through the Managing
Climate Variability Program (MCVP) coordinated by Land & Water Australia
on behalf of a consortium of Research and Development Corporations. It
is now recognised that a longer term R&D focus needs to capture aspects
of climate change as well. A new three year program is currently being
scoped by Land & Water Australia for co-investment commencing 2007–08.
Key
Strategies for 2007–08
-
Finalisation of science plan
for the new program
-
Further negotiation of Research
and Development Corporation contributions to the new program
Expected
key outcomes in 2007–08
Establishment of new Managing
Climate Change and Variability Program managed on behalf of Research and
Development Corporations by Land & Water Australia
New R&D investment in priority
projects
Key Performance
Indicators
Foresighting the implications
of extreme events (drought, flood, storm, frost) on industry development
and productivity
Identifying likely shifts in
the constraints and opportunities for primary production
Identifying new rural industries
that might benefit from a changing natural environment
Assessing industry economic
opportunities within the context of changing global production profiles
and demand
 Research
Budget: $100,000 |
