The Department for Environment and Water’s latest guide to climate change predicts that the State can expect to experience hotter days more often, less rain but with heavier falls and more severe fire conditions, as the weather adjusts to the changes.
In its Guide to Climate Projections for Risk Assessment and Planning in South Australia, the Department reveals a range of possible scenarios of climate change as the planet reacts to greenhouse gas emissions.
The Guide summarises key climate variables such as temperature, rainfall, evapotranspiration, days of severe fire danger and sea level rises.
The Department said the Guide’s statistical tables provide an in-depth analysis of potential climate variables to the years 2030, 2050 and, for the first time, 2090.
The new modelling came as Climate Minister Susan Close attended the United Nation’s Conference of the Parties (COP27), the recent international gathering on climate action and reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.
“The Australian Government has announced it will seek to host COP31 and South Australia will actively support that bid,” Dr Close said.
“Our world-leading intermittent renewable energy profile makes South Australia a great location as a potential host city,” she said.
According to the Minister for Emergency and Correctional Services, Joe Szakacs, the projections reinforce why the Government declared a climate emergency and why the State can’t afford to wait any longer for real climate change action.
Mr Szakacs said the report vindicated the plan to build a green hydrogen plant to harness wind and solar energy to generate clean power.
“Computer-modelled climate projections are the best information we have available to help the Government, industries and communities to plan for our future,’ Mr Szakacs said.
“They further highlight the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through our hydrogen jobs plan,” he said.
“The time for climate change action is now.”
The Department’s 84-page Guide can be accessed at this PS News link.
