Climate change

Climate change is causing a long-term shift in our region’s climate, with conditions expected to become warmer and drier. Rainfall will be more variable with seasonal rainfall patterns already shifting and impacting on our landscapes. Acting on climate change and building resilience to climate stressors will help our region to adapt sustainably. Monitoring and supporting biodiversity, while assisting our community to maintain a strong social fabric and continued prosperity are key objectives of our work.

The Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board recognises the benefits of working together to address climate change issues, and is acting on a regional adaptation plan developed with key stakeholders to identify adaptation priorities. Each regional partner has a role to act on the priorities through their own strategic plans and policies.The landscape board delivers its priorities through annual program delivery and investment in partnership projects such as local biodiversity action plans.

Adapting to climate change

The landscape board contributes to improving adaptive capacity of landscapes and farming communities through programs that:

• reduce threats to, and improve the condition and connectedness of native vegetation (for example habitat restoration, pest and weed control, native seed nursery trials, environmental stewardship programs and development planning referrals)
• minimise the risk posed by pest plants and animals (through targeted control, and landholder awareness and training)
• reduce the risk and impact of extreme events (for example prescribed burns in conservation parks to reduce fire risk, advice on conservation assets like threatened species during emergencies)
• help landholders adapt their farming techniques to climate pressures (for example water use efficiency schemes for irrigators, capacity building programs to improve uptake of no-till farming to minimise erosion risk, local weather stations to improve forecasting)
• increase community participation in activities to build connectivity and resilience (for example support and involvement in the SA Citizen Science Festival , National Science Week, Frogwatch SA and regional Citizen Science programmes such as Water Watch).

Mitigating against climate change

In our region there are many projects that the landscape board supports to mitigate or reduce the impacts of greenhouse gases. Encouraging no till cropping, soil improvements and modification can reduce the amount of carbon released to the atmosphere. Managing the impacts of pest plants and animals in collaboration with landholders is important for supporting landscape and ecosystem resilience. The landscape board promotes and supports revegetation and planting projects, including blue carbon offsetting.

These programs and projects are made possible by funding from the levies collected by the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board as well as funding from the state and federal government, community and industry partnerships.

You can read more about how we assist with climate change adaptation here.