Queensland's Climate Change Adaptation: Challenges And Solutions (essay)

Important Climate Changes Adaptation Issues

Discuss about the Queenslands Adaptation to Climate Change.

Climate change is a global issue, and the paper primarily discusses the challenges faced by the Australians due to their change in climatic condition. Queensland is the most affected region and has some severe threats of the effects of climate change. The negative influence of the climate change leads to increasing in sea level and increase in the temperature of the Queensland as well the whole of Australia ("Adapting to climate change | Environment, land, and water | Queensland Government," 2016).  The government of Australia gives considerable importance to the issue of global warming and is aiming towards the development of the climatic condition of Queensland. Different policies are being implemented to make the people adapt to the climate change in the country. The paper systematically deals with several points associated with it and addresses the important questions that come up with it. The coastal region and the marine life of the Great Barrier Reef are of utmost importance since it is an important place of tourist attraction and the huge change in climate will eventually destroy the aquatic life of the reef (Taylor et al., 2014).  Thereby the paper narrates about the steps that can be adopted to combat this situation. The challenges to face the climatic changes for the dwellers of Queensland is quite tough and needs proper planning and implementation of policies on the part of the governments.

The paper systematically addresses all the answers and elaborately illustrates the challenges, the role of the three levels of government and their working style to assist or help Queensland adapt to the changing climate.

Queensland is an important part of Australia, and since the place lies in the coastal region of Australia, there are several climatic challenges and the challenge of adapting to the surrounding climatic environment (Kiem, 2014). The issues that are mostly highlighted in this prospect include occasional cyclones, extreme temperatures, scarcity of food as well as water, floods, droughts, the rise in sea level and so on. Since it is a coastal area, bushfires or forest fires are common due to the windy nature of the place (Webb, 2015).This forest fire also ushers in a change in the climatic condition of the place. This adversely affects the human life as well as the natural life of Queensland. Apart from this, the challenge of drought and flood also persist all through the year. Flood greatly affects the life of the humans and the animals in the region and can even lead to loss of lives. Drought, on the other hand, affects the cultivation and agricultural production of the region. Then along the coastline, there lay some important buildings that aggravate the possibility of a flood and if the water of the ocean gushes in, it will be disastrous for the people of Queensland. Due to the presence of the ocean, the place is very humid the humidity reaches up to a level of 75% at times that makes the place very hot (Lyons, Phinn & Roelfsema, 2012). Queensland is known as a "sunny state" and as the name suggests there is hardly any winter season in this region. Thereby the people of the region always need to face extreme heat and sunshine. Due to the increase in temperature skin disease like skin cancer can also occur and it can severely affect the citizens of Australia. Apart from these, other challenges to cope up with for the people of the coastal region are a scarcity of food and even water at times, when there is a draught. However, these are all the major issues of the climatic environment of Queensland that needs to be addressed. It requires a considerable amount of time to adapt to this weather condition, and the people of the region are the worst suffers in this prospect (Taylor et al., 2014).  

Powers of the Governing Bodies

The authority or power is evenly distributed among the Commonwealth Government, the state government, and the local government. They have powers or authority to address the issue of the unfavorable climatic condition in Queensland. The powers are granted to these governing bodies based on some acts or laws present in the Australian constitution (Kiem, 2014).The state government has the power to make policies to usher in some changes or to provide some protection to evade the unfavorable climatic condition of Queensland.  However, legally the local government does not possess much power to implement some rule or to take some measure in this context but otherwise it can work individually with the permission of the upper governing bodies for the betterment of the situation. The local government can also team up with other governing bodies to address this issue. The local government also has the power to conduct some activities to address the problem and can also make the people of the region aware about the scopes of improvement from this problem. The Commonwealth Government in Australia possesses the maximum authority in this aspect, and it has the power to implement the norms of the “United Nations Framework” regarding the issue of change in the climate of Queensland. Apart from this treaty like, “Kyto Protocol” can also be implemented by the Commonwealth Government to address this issue of climate change ("Climate change impacts in Queensland | Department of the Environment and Energy", 2016). The Commonwealth Government is the national government and is answerable for the drastic change in climate in the whole of Australia. The Commonwealth Government looks after the external issues or affairs. Thereby these are some of the powers that are granted by the Constitution of Australia and the local government of Queensland. The governing bodies thereby can work on these areas and aim towards bringing some favorable changes. A proper integration and collaboration of the three working bodies are necessary for the proper implementation or execution of the policies (Kiem, 2014).

The Commonwealth Government plays a major role in this aspect and can be influential in bringing in some positive changes. The Commonwealth Government primarily looks after the national welfare of the country (Lyons, Phinn & Roelfsema, 2012). The Government is concerned about the climatic condition of the whole of Australia since it is an issue of national level. The Commonwealth Government can have a very strong economy to provide safety to the dwellers of the Queensland as well as to the people of neighboring states. The Commonwealth Government can share information about the global climate change and set some steps or measures to adapt to the climate change in Queensland, based on the practices that are used at an international level (Shoo, 2014). The Commonwealth Government can develop a department of climate change and can appoint some researchers or scientists always to look after the change in climate in Queensland and thereby recommend some policies that can be undertaken to combat the situation. The researchers or scientists can put forward some relevant case studies or information in this prospect so that a more insight in this aspect can be gained. Apart from this, the Commonwealth Government can also take some steps to prohibit the negative economic impacts that the whole country will face. The commission of climate in Australia along with the Commonwealth government can spread awareness as well as collate views of the Australians regarding this issue. The different climatic research bodies present in Australia can also come forward and join hands with the Commonwealth government to make necessary recommendations and amendments for adapting to the climate change in Queensland. One important role of the Commonwealth Government in this aspect is the protection of the Great Barrier Reef ("Adapting to climate change | Environment, land, and water | Queensland Government," 2016). The Great Barrier Reef is one of the famous spots in Australia and due to increasing in temperature, floods, occasional cyclones and increasing pollution in the water, the reef is in great danger. The marine or aquatic life of the Great Barrier Park is in danger, and it can create an imbalance in the biodiversity of the place. The tourism industry of Australia will also be affected if the reef is polluted, therefore the Commonwealth Government can implement some strict rules regarding the usage to Marine Park (Frusher et al., 2012). Security can also be employed on the coast for the proper maintenance of the Great Barrier Reef and the coasts of Queensland. Reef 2050 is a plan of the Commonwealth Government to combat with the changing climatic condition.

Role of Commonwealth Government

The Queensland state government can tie up with the local governing bodies to delve deep into the issue and bring forward some change. The state government or the government of Queensland can adopt some strategies to be implemented along the coast of Queensland (Frusher et al., 2014). Better communication between the state government and the local governing bodies can also be brought into action for a clear knowledge and know-how of the climatic condition of Queensland. However, due to the climatic change, not only Queensland but also the whole of Australia will suffer from the impacts of climate change is far-reaching and huge. Better infrastructure for combating the climatic change can also be done by the state government. For example, the flood can bring in destructiveness, which can be evaded by building dams, and the people living in the coastal region should be instructed to build their houses away from the coastal area. Better services for safety and security can also be provided to the people of Queensland by the state government. Good and improved services can also be given to the people of Queensland to adapt to this changing climate (Shoo, 2014). The state government is working towards the development and implementation of some of the policies like coastal risk adaptation program, promoting the use of renewable source of energy, reduction in the emission of greenhouse gasses and so on. Another important role of the state government is investing for the societal communities of Queensland to manage the impacts of climatic change. The state government is spending near about $15 million to better and implement the adaptation strategies (Ivkovi? et al., 2016).

The local government can take a crucial role in adapting to the changes in the climatic condition of the country. The local government of Queensland and promote active engagement and response of the people in this matter (Burton & Mustelin, 2013). The local government can regulate several measures like the lease of land, building construction rules and so on. Then the local government of Queensland can take extra care of the people living in the coastal area since they are more vulnerable to floods and cyclones. The adaptation to the climatic change of Australia is greatly dependent on the role of the local government since they are closer to Queensland and the problems of climate change. The local government is also considering plantation of huge numbers of trees to combat the negative impacts of climatic change. The climatic change is a global issue, and Australia is taking early initiatives in this aspect. Queensland being adjacent to the Pacific Ocean is more affected by the climatic change in Australia. Apart from the local government also closely monitors the change in the population of Queensland, especially those living in the coastal area (Hilbert et al., 2014). Due to globalization, many people from different parts of the world come and settle in this region, which can lead to the reckless use of the coastal areas and can develop social disparity due to the difference in income (Bell, 2016). All these negatively affect the biodiversity of the place and thereby aggravate the problems of climate change. The local government can also work towards forming different communities who can converse among themselves to bring some small changes to address the issue of climate change. The local government with the help of state government and national government is aiming towards investing more money for the overall development of Queensland. The responsibility of the local government is also to look after urban development near the coastal area, conservation of the environment, the health of the people and so on (Frusher et al., 2012).

The three levels of governments, which are the national government, the state government, and the local government can collaborate and work together. “COAG” is a link that effectively joins these three levels of governments. All the three levels of government should be well informed about their working style and their agenda ("Adapting to climate change | Environment, land, and water | Queensland Government," 2016). The national government being the one with supreme power can invest more money to improve the climatic condition of Australia with the help of the state and local government of Queensland. The three levels of government can keep track of the policies or acts made by them for adapting the changes and the proper implementation of the policies (Ivkovi? et al., 2016). The outcome or result of the policies and how the people are responding to that should also be evaluated. The three governing bodies can work as a unit in solving the problem and should keep in mind the sustainable development of Australia. The marine life, ecosystem and the biodiversity of Australia are utmost important and should be conserved and bettered for future generations. The three levels of governing bodies should be more responsible towards their duties and responsibilities. Though the entire challenge of adaptation to the climatic changes is on the shoulder of the national government, the state, and local government can also take proper initiative to address this issue. The acidification of the water of "Great Barrier Reef" negatively affects the tourism industry of Australia and it is an issue of major concern (Webb, 2015). Making decisions and forming policies by the governing bodies should be a systematic and a collaborative approach. The primary key to this aspect is the integration and mutual trust of the governing bodies without which the problem can never be properly addressed.

The policies are mainly made based on the issues that are identified, and the policies can be improved with the effective working of the three governing bodies. Policymaking is a systematic and structural approach and is primarily done to analyze a certain problem and then taking necessary steps (Burton & Mustelin, 2013). The discussion of the roles and responsibilities of all the three levels of government have been done in the in the paper, and it is desirable that the governments work as a team and keep information of each other. The local government of Queensland can better understand and analyze the negative impacts of the climate change the necessary awareness that should be created among the people to address this issue. The issues should be precisely identified by the governing bodies and clearly jotted down to address the problems in a systematic way. The policies for adaptation can be more effectively formulated if the challenges or the difficulties are properly discussed. Survey can also be conducted mainly in the coastal region of Queensland to have a clear knowledge of the threats and problems of the area. The people of the region can be asked about the problems that they are facing, and the governing bodies can take steps accordingly (Reser et al., 2012).  The governing bodies can also allow participation of stakeholders in this prospect and thereby get some new ideas and thoughts to address this problem. The Commonwealth Government, being the one to grant money for the development of the current scenario can also take a suggestion from the local government of Queensland to get ideas of where to invest for the betterment of the coastal region. The strategy of protecting the Great Barrier Reef is a great one, and it can be done with the help of the local and state government. Many independent organizations of Australia are also concerned with the issue of climate change and helping Queensland combat this issue (Martin & Rice, 2012). The governing bodies should also recognize the efforts of these organizations and help them with money or suggestions. An account of Australia's climatic condition can also be studied thoroughly to improve the policies that are formulated by the governing bodies. Extra focus can be put on the policy of the Reef 2050 since this is all about the sustainable development and growth of the Great Barrier Reef.

However, the paper in details represents the aspects of climate change in Australia and more particularly of Queensland. It addresses the main points that are associated with the concept of climate change. Queensland is a coastal region and is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. This place experiences a very high humid climate and thereby a gradual change in the climatic condition of the place can be observed over the past few years. Researchers and scientists are analyzing the cause of the climate change and with the assistance of the governing bodies, making plans and policies to develop the scenario. Impacts of flood, cyclones, forest fires and storms are the major issues of this place. The role of the three levels of governments in this scenario is huge, and a collaborative approach of the governing bodies can change the situation.

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