The facts about climate change

The Facts:

What could the effects of global warming mean for Queensland:

• a rise in sea level causing coastal damage;
• an increase in the likelihood of extreme weather conditions such as droughts, floods and cyclones;
• health impacts because of the spread of tropical-borne diseases, the increase of flooding and other such climate changes;
• damage to ecosystems and species diversity;
• damage to agricultural output and food supply; and
• an increase in the earth’s surface temperature causing heat stress and damage.

For further information visit:

Climate Change in Queensland, what the science is telling us (June 2008) - produced by the Queensland Office of Climate Change. It summarises the latest peer reviewed science on climate change in Queensland.

Queensland Office of Climate Change - providing scientific information about climate change in Queensland.

The Long Paddock - Queensland government website that supplies decision support information services to help better manage climate risks and opportunties.

What climate change may mean for tourism?

A future of unmitigated climate change, paints a very alarming picture for Queensland’s and Australia’s tourism industry.

• Great Barrier Reef has been identified as the most vulnerable of all Australian regions to climate change
• But coral reefs are only one category of tourism attractions that could be affected by climate change. Others include rainforests and national parks, native flora, wetlands, mangroves, whale watching, recreational fishing, beaches and vineyards.
• Tropical North Queensland is by far the most threatened in Australia - in addition to the coral reef the destination contains severely threatened rainforest areas; beaches in danger of inundation and increasing storm damage; threats to fishing; and bushfires and ultraviolet radiation. Threat to the region is exacerbated by a high reliance on international visitors, which could be relatively easily diverted elsewhere.
• Townsville was identified as being at comparatively high risk due to its national parks and rainforests, its recreational fishing and increase ultraviolet radiation, as well as being situated along the Great Barrier Reef.
• To the extent that tourism is influenced by multinational companies, they will most likely plan relatively less for Australia and relatively more for those regions of the world less under threat e.g. North America, South America, Northern Europe, Africa, Middle East and South East Asia.
• Larger tour operators are likely to shift south as ecological systems change. This may occur gradually or may be subject to particular tipping points (e.g. following a series of strong bleaching events in which coral cover and reef quality deteriorate suddenly).

Smaller operators will be most vulnerable because of limited mobility and flexibility to adapt their businesses. Current images of pristine reef and rainforest may be replaced by those drawing on other activities e.g. golf courses, horse riding on beaches etc. The success of these ventures will depend very much on changing global demand and in particular the rising wealth in China, India and other Asian countries.

For more information about climate change, click on the Understanding Climate Change factsheet.

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