Hundreds of farmers across Australia are demanding a coordinated national plan to support the agricultural industry to address climate challenges, following an expert report warning severe droughts were expected to become more frequent especially across southern Australia.
The Climate Council’s report “Deluge and Drought: Australia’s Water Security in a Changing Climate” shows Australia’s temperatures are rising, driven primarily by the burning of fossil fuels, and posing an unprecedented risk to water security for farmers.
Farmer Angus Whyte from Wyndham Station, about 190 kilometres south of Broken Hill, said: “Australia’s leading scientists are telling us that climate change is increasing the severity of droughts, and that we will face significant water security challenges if current trends continue.
“We have all seen just how severe this drought has escalated to in the past few months and the impacts on farmers across the country. No longer can we assume that this drought is a one-off event or that it will end anytime soon! It’s time to acknowledge reality and act immediately to respond to the long-term challenges of climate change.
“We need a coordinated plan to grapple with climate change impacts on Australian farmers. We are calling for a national strategy on climate change and agriculture.
“Whole of landscape management will be essential, including effective management of declining water resources, but there’s more to be done outside of agriculture to protect our future.”
“Fossil fuel dependence must be reduced and clean energy solutions embraced as we simultaneously build more resilient farming practices that can better handle extreme weather events including drought.”
Longreach grazier Angus Emmott said: “Action on climate change is an absolute no-brainer. Here in Western Queensland we are entering our eighth year of drought and we have accepted we won’t be returning to the weather conditions that were the norm our whole lives.
“We need to take a whole of landscape and systems thinking approach recognising that although farmers are great at adapting, there is a limit to our resilience as human-induced climate change pushes conditions to new and unprecedented extremes.
“Instead of addressing climate change, we are seeing plans to underwrite new coal projects and step up coal exports—what a kick in the face to farmers across the country.
“We need a plan to manage what we can’t avoid and avoid the impacts we can manage. We are calling on all levels of government to stop ignoring the root cause of the problem and urgently action a national strategy on climate change and agriculture.”
