Climate change adaptation knowledge at Griffith UniversityWhat is NCCARF? The National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility is a unique venture established by the Australian Government in 2008 to harness and coordinate the capabilities of Australia’s researchers, to generate and communicate the knowledge decision-makers need for successful adaptation to climate change. NCCARF fulfils its mission by:

• Building capacity in research and end user communities, principally through its eight thematic Adaptation Research Networks;

• Generating knowledge for adaptation through its research programs;

• Effectively delivering knowledge through the NCCARF annual conference, workshops and master classes, reports, policy briefs and information sheets, the website and social media.

Research Portfolio Factsheet 21:Griffith University

NCCARF Adaptation Research Networks at Griffith University

NCCARF’s Adaptation Research Networks are a community of researchers and practitioners working together to progress climate change adaptation knowl-edge. Established in 2008, there are eight Networks representing various themes. Each Network is convened at an Australian research institution, chosen through a competitive bidding process. In under four years, they have made a significant and growing contribution towards the advancement of climate change adaptation knowledge across the nation. With over 5000 members, the Networks effectively connect and rapidly communicate with researchers and research end users in gov-ernment and vulnerable sectors and communities.

The Water Resources and Freshwater Biodiversity Network, convened by Professor Stuart Bunn, is hosted by Griffith University in Queensland. NCCARF has provided $1,454, 544 in funding to this Network over 5 years.

Griffith University is a partner in the following Networks:• Terrestrial Biodiversity• Water Resources and Freshwater Biodiversity• Primary Industries

Collectively the Networks have also provided over $10,000 in travel and research grants for students and early career researchers from Queensland.

Projects in NCCARF’s research programs based at Griffith University The National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility manages two research areas, the Adaptation Research Grants Program (ARGP) and the Synthesis and Integrative Research Program (SIRP). Together, these seek to address knowledge gaps and deliver the information decision-makers need to successfully adapt Australia to climate change.

The thematic ARGP, with a $36 million budget (including cash leveraging) and 96 projects, addresses knowledge gaps identified in National Adaptation Research Plans (NARPs). There are programs in terrestrial, marine and freshwater biodiversity, primary industries, human health, emergency management, settlements and infrastructure, the social, institutional and economic dimensions of climate change, and Indigenous communities and adaptation. The SIRP, with a $6 million budget and 40 projects, builds on existing research to directly address knowledge needs of practitioners. The SIRP synthesises across thematic topics and integrates NCCARF learnings with the wider field of adaptation research to deliver timely and specific information tailored to the needs of practitioners. These practitioners are engaged in projects at all stages of development, implementation and delivery.

This fact sheet outlines $2.6 million of NCCARF research addressing the challenges of adaptation at Griffith University.

PrincipalInvestigator Institution

Final report availability1,2

NCCARF RESEARCH LED BY GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

Storm tides, coastal erosion and inundation Rodger Tomlinson Griffith University 30-Apr-2010

Coastal ecosystems responses to climate change – Adapting to climate change in the coastal zone

Wade Hadwen Griffith University 09-Feb-2011

Climate change adaptation in the Australian Alps – Impacts, strategies, limits and management

Catherine Pickering Griffith University 31-Oct-2011

Public understandings, risk perceptions, and responses to climate change and associated natural disasters

Joseph Reser Griffith University 15-Feb-2012

Urban food security, urban resilience and climate change Paul Burton Griffith University 30-Sep-2012

Changing perceptions about climate change Joseph Reser Griffith University 31-Oct-2012

Adapt between the flags – Enhancing the capacity of Surf Life Saving Australia to cope with climate change and to leverage adaptation within coastal communities

Marcello Sano Griffith University 28-Feb-2013

Climate change adaptation – A framework for best practice in financial risk assessment, governance and disclosure Jason West Griffith University 28-Feb-2013

Determining high risk vegetation communities and plants species in relation to climate change in the Australian alpine region

Catherine Pickering Griffith University 31-Mar-2013

Developing adaptively – The role and capacities of private sector development institutions in urban climate change adaptation

Jago Dodson Griffith University 31-Mar-2013

Every state for themselves? – Learning from cross-border regulatory instruments to support and promote climate change adaptation in Australia

Wendy Steele Griffith University 31-Mar-2013

Strata title in a world of climate change – Managing greater uncertainty in forecasting and funding common property capital expenditure

Chris Guilding Griffith University 31-Mar-2013

The right tool for the job – Achieving climate change adaptation outcomes through improved disaster management policies, planning and risk management strategies

Michael Howes Griffith University 31-Mar-2013

Understanding urban and peri-urban Indigenous people's vulnerability and adaptive capacity to climate change

Darryl Low Choy Griffith University 31-May-2013

A preliminary assessment of the vulnerability of Australian forests to the impacts of climate change – Synthesis

Roger Kitching Griffith University TBC3

NCCARF RESEARCH INVOLVING GRIFFITH UNIVERSITYBuilding the climate resilience of arid zone freshwater biota – Identifying and prioritising processes and scales for management Jenny Davis Monash University 31-Mar-2013

Social networks analysis – Bridging degrees of separation to enhance climate change adaptation

Susan Kinnear

Central Queensland

University31-Mar-2013

What about me? – Factors affecting individual adaptive coping capacity across different population groups

Kerrie Unsworth

University of Western Australia 31-Mar-2013

Aboriginal responses to climate change in arid zone Australia – Regional understandings and capacity building for adaptation

Paul Memmott

University of Queensland 31-May-2013

Identification and characterization of freshwater refugia in the face of climate change

Jeremy VanDerWal

James Cook University 31-May-2013

1Completed final reports are available for download at www.nccarf.edu.au2Availability dates are estimated using draft report due dates and time for the review process3Final report subject to external review; availability to be confirmed

Projects in NCCARF’s research programs based at Griffith University

Image Credits: Jose Alfonso, Mark Scott Johnson, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mick Stanic, Jamie Sanford, Ron Cox, Linda Mandy

Storm tides, coastal erosion and inundationRodger Tomlinson, Griffith UniversityThis case study examines the socio-economic vulnerability and adaptation responses to extreme coastal storms that result in severe erosion and coastal inundation. It reviews past technical, planning and regulatory responses to extreme tide events, erosion and flooding and their effectiveness for future events. It seeks to identify alternative and additional strategies to improve management of future events.

Coastal ecosystems responses to climate change – Adapting to climate change in the coastal zoneWade Hadwen, Griffith UniversityThis project will synthesise knowledge of climate change impacts on various Australian coastal ecosystems including estuaries, coral reefs, sandy beaches, dunes and headlands, to review and integrate current understanding of potential adaptive pathways, both ecological and human, to identify priorities for future research and management.

Climate change adaptation in the Australian Alps – Impacts, strategies, limits and managementCatherine Pickering, Griffith UniversityAlpine ecosystems are considered one of the four most at risk ecosystems from climate change in Australia. Assessing ecological, physical, economic, technological and social thresholds that may limit adaptation strategies of conservation organisations and the tourism industry in the region will assist these organisations in better focusing their efforts to minimise the negative impact of climate change. This research will provide a methodology, a case study and important insights into the conflict that can arise between the objectives of different stakeholders in dealing with climate changes, change such as conservation and tourism organisations. This research will also establish benchmarks for other regions about how to examine limits to adaptations and how social, economic, physical and environmental factors interact.

Public understandings, risk perceptions, and responses to climate change and associated natural disastersJoseph Reser, Griffith UniversityThis project aims to: examine public understandings, risk perceptions, concerns, and adaptations to climate change and natural disasters in Australia and to identify ways in which public understandings and responses to the threat and impacts of climate change differ across population sub-groups defined in terms of gender, age, urban/peri-urban/rural residence, and other demographic considerations. It will provide a baseline from which the nature and direction of changes in community perceptions can be examined over time.

Urban food security, urban resilience and climate changePaul Burton, Griffith UniversityThis project will extend knowledge of the diversity of agriculture in urban areas. It will identify the social, economic and political barriers to urban agriculture and explore the potential for extending its practice in the climate change-affected future. The results of this work will provide a much-needed commentary on the public health, nutritional and environmental benefits of greater urban food production and to make a valuable contribution to the development of the federal government’s national food plan.

Changing perceptions about climate changeJoseph Reser, Griffith UniversityThe research addresses diverse psychological considerations posed by climate change, with a focus on how the Australian public perceives and understands the threat of climate change, and how these considerations can be best addressed in terms of policies and risk communication strategies.

Adapt between the flags – Enhancing the capacity of Surf Life Saving Australia to cope with climate change and to leverage adaptation within local communitiesMarcello Sano, Griffith UniversitySurf Life Saving Australia has assets and facilities exposed to climatic

drivers on the frontline of climate change, including 310 surf life saving clubs and 150,000 trained volunteers, 63% of which are zones of potential instability. This project will identify the adaptive capacity of SLSA at the national level and options to enhance its capacity internally and in collaboration with allied national level organisations, local governments, allied emergency services and community groups.

Climate change adaptation – A framework for best practice in financial risk assessment, governance and disclosureJason West, Griffith UniversityThis project will deliver a consolidated framework for Australian industry to integrate risk management and governance principles in relation to climate change adaptation with existing governance principles. It will identify a matrix of financial disclosure principles to act as guidance for Australian industry to use for information disclosures relating to climate change risk and adaptation costs. These outcomes will be developed in conjunction with representatives from industry, regulators and corporate governance bodies.

Determining high risk vegetation communities and plants species in relation to climate change in the Australian alpine regionCatherine Pickering, Griffith University The Australian Alps are one of the three most vulnerable ecosystems to climate change in Australia. It’s an important biodiversity ark with more than 400 species of plants, 25 of which occur nowhere else. Snow cover is already 30% less than in the 1950s. With longer, warmer, summers come other threats including bushfires, weeds and feral animals. There is nowhere higher for Australian alpine plants to go – how can we conserve them in a warmer world? This project will prioritise strategies to increase the resilience of plants to these threats. It will assess the characteristics of plants such as their height, leaf size and shape and how they reproduce to determine which will decline with less snow and which will move in. This will enable resource allocation to maintain key refuges, control weeds and feral animals, and manage increased recreational use of the area.

Developing adaptively – The role and capacities of private sector development institutions in urban climate change adaptationJago Dodson, Griffith University How equipped is the private urban development sector – developers and financial institutions – to respond to the task of adapting new urban developments to climate change? This study will investigate the capacity of developers and financial institutions to develop and fund climate‐adapted urban developments.

Every state for themselves? – Learning from cross‐border regulatory instruments to support and promote climate change adaptation in AustraliaWendy Steele, Griffith University This project focuses on reforming regulatory mechanisms to support and promote cross border cooperation for climate change adaptation in Australia. It will explore the challenges and opportunities of implementing cross border regulatory reform, by assessing innovative cross border regulatory initiatives such as: the Murray‐Darling Basin water strategy; the Australian Alps conservation management plan; the Cross‐border sub‐regional strategy between ACT and NSW; and the Cross‐border disaster management sub‐plan 2010 between the Gold Coast City (QLD) and Tweed Shire (NSW).

NCCARF RESEARCH LED BY GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

Strata title in a world of climate change – Managing greater uncertainty in forecasting and funding common property capital expenditureChris Guilding, Griffith University This project will determine the extent to which uncertainty of climate change-induced building damage is built into strata and community title capital expenditure forecasts, and whether insurance specialists are equipped with tools that can factor in uncertainty and flexibility when projecting capital expenditure.

The right tool for the job – Achieving climate change adaptation outcomes through

improved disaster management policies, planning and risk management strategiesMichael Howes, Griffith UniversityAustralia is highly susceptible to climate change impacts such as more frequent and/or intense floods and bushfires. There

is considerable uncertainty about when and how disaster management organisations

should address climate change adaptation and the priority that should be granted compared to other

problems. This project will create a nationally-consistent approach with a supporting set of risk assessment tools to identify potential conflict, improve stakeholder engagement, and integrate climate change adaptation into disaster management. The tools are derived from a comparison of case studies including the 2010–11 Queensland floods; the 2009 Victorian bushfires; the 2011 Perth hills bushfires and state-wide risk profiles. The research will improve policymaking, planning and emergency risk management by decision makers at all levels of government.

Understanding urban and peri-urban Indigenous people’s vulnerability and adaptive capacity to climate changeDarryl Low Choy, Griffith UniversityThe challenges facing coastal communities in Australia are potentially immense, and while community and stakeholders generally accept that change is occurring, the degree of change remains disputed, and the visual picture of what settlements might have to adapt to and address is unclear. Using case study areas in Queensland, South Australia and Victoria, this project will investigate the long-accumulated knowledge of Australia’s Indigenous community regarding the challenges of climate change for coastal communities.

A preliminary assessment of the vulnerability of Australian forests to the impacts of climate change – SynthesisRoger Kitching, Griffith UniversityForests and the industries associated with them are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Australia has 149 million hectares of forest managed for conservation and heritage areas and for production of forest products. This part of the forest vulnerability assessment project summarises the four parts of the assessment into a succinct report for policymakers and forest managers. It identifies region-specific vulnerabilities and critical gaps in the knowledge needed to improve adaptive management of forests.

Building the climate resilience of arid zone freshwater biota – Identifying and prioritising processes and scales for managementJenny Davis, Monash UniversityImportant wetlands in the Lake Eyre Basin, Western Plateau and Indian Ocean Drainage Divisions of Australia’s arid zone include springs, relic streams, rockholes and river pools. Climate change, including rising temperatures and more variable rainfall, will alter connections between these sites, fragment existing habitats and force aquatic animals to follow suitable habitat. Understanding the processes that allow arid zone aquatic communities to persist is critical to understanding how the environment can be managed to help animals adapt to climate change in this region. This project will produce national management guidelines for planning, policy and management decisions and actions across the Australian arid zone.

Social networks analysis – Bridging degrees of separation to enhance climate change adaptation Susan Kinnear, Central Queensland University This project aims to maximise climate change adaptation in the water sector, particularly through more effective infrastructure management. It will collaborate with local and state government and industry bodies to collect qualitative and quantitative data on adaptive responses to increased climatic variability, through examples of responses to flooding caused by extreme rainfall events and managing supply/demand pressures on municipal water supplies due to changes in flows. It will analyse the transmission of this information within and between organisations and use the findings to inform regional, state and national policy development, stakeholder interactions, and institutional/governance structures in water supply, infrastructure, disaster response and land use planning.

What about me? – Factors affecting individual adaptive coping capacity across different population groupsKerrie Unsworth, University of Western AustraliaAs the scientific evidence for climate change becomes more convincing, the public appears to show a paradoxical decline in interest and recognition of the problem. Little research has examined how people adapt to climate change information and initiatives. The project will examine how individual values, beliefs and goals affect adaptive coping goals and behaviours. It will examine positive climate change adaptation behaviour and those that may have other negative impacts.

Aboriginal responses to climate change in arid zone Australia – Regional understandings and capacity building for adaptationPaul Memmott, University of QueenslandUsing the Upper Georgina River Basin as a case study, this project will document Aboriginal perceptions and knowledge of climate change, and the capacity of regional communities to respond and adapt to climate change at a number of levels. Based on these findings, a set of regional climate adaptation planning goals, principles and strategies will be generated, which will be able to be extrapolated for other arid zone regions.

Identification and characterisation of freshwater refugia in the face of climate changeJeremy VanDerWal, James Cook UniversityRefuges from climate change within freshwater systems will be crucial for both freshwater biodiversity and for the terrestrial biodiversity that use freshwater habitats, for example riverside zones, during hotter and drier periods. How such refuges will be affected by climate change, however, is poorly understood. This research will improve understanding of which parts of the landscape provide natural refuges in the face of global climate change. Identified refuges will be mapped and assessed for what species and habitats they will protect across a range of possible future climates. The research will quantify the biodiversity assets of each refuge and assess their relative vulnerability under future climate scenarios, enabling management actions to be prioritised to ensure cost-efficient allocation of resources.

Other fact sheets in this series cover: Local CouncilsCoastal ManagementWater ResourcesInfrastructureAgricultureVulnerable CommunitiesEmergency ManagementBusiness and IndustryPolicy and Regulation for Effective AdaptationDecision Support ToolsNatural Ecosystems Research Investment in States and Territories

For more information on NCCARF research, visit:www.nccarf.edu.au

NCCARF RESEARCH INVOLVING GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY