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National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility

Griffith University has won the right to host the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, with $10million funding over five years from the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change. The Facility is one of only a handful of research institutions around the world focussing specifically on how we adapt to the physical impacts of climate change and climate variability.

Our climate is changing as a result of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Further changes are inevitable in the decades ahead, regardless of efforts to reduce global emissions. Projected effects, such as sea level rise, temperature increases and more severe and frequent droughts and storms, will affect natural systems and human settlements. To prepare for and manage these risks, decision-makers in government, business and the community need robust information on likely impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptation options.

Adaptation science is complex. It spans climate change science, sectoral and regional science, and research into social, institutional, and management responses.  There is a need to facilitate multi-disciplinary approaches to support effective decision-making and enhance the communication of research findings - decision-makers need clear guidance on what all of the science is saying about the risks they face and the options for managing these.

The Facility will provide national leadership in the development and implementation of adaptation research plans in key priority sectors such as primary industries, built environment, human health and biodiversity conservation. These Plans will identify critical gaps in the information needed by sectoral decision-makers and set research priorities based on these gaps. The Facility will also undertake its own synthesis and integrative research projects on a range of priority topics, and will support the work of a range of adaptation research networks, with grants totalling $10million additional to the Facility’s own funding. The Facility’s work programme will complement and enhance what is already happening in the research community and operate through collaboration with the rest of the Australian research community.  The research outputs will be formulated in terms that decision-makers can understand and that can be utilised in a practical way and delivered in an accessible format.

The Facility will not be responsible for climate modelling or developing climate change projections but will be expected to work closely with other relevant research initiatives including the CSIRO-Bureau of Meteorology Joint Venture and the CSIRO National Climate Change Adaptation Flagship.

Links - National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility