Australia’s First Climate Risk Report Warns of Deadly Heat and Rising Seas
- admin928749
- Sep 15
- 2 min read
Australia’s first ever National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA) has painted a grim picture of what’s ahead, warning that by 2050, around 1.5 million Australians could be at risk from sea level rise.
The report shows that even a relatively modest 1.5°C of global warming could lift sea levels by 14 centimetres — enough to push far more coastal communities into danger zones.
“By 2050, the number of coastal communities in high and very high-risk areas will jump from 8% to 18%,” the report says. “If populations stay the same, that’s 1.5 million people at risk.”
And it doesn’t stop there. By 2090, as many as three million Australians could be exposed.
The NCRA looked at three scenarios — 1.5°C, 2°C and 3°C of warming. Right now, the world is tracking closer to 2.9°C by 2030 — a level that would bring devastating impacts.
Some of the predicted outcomes include:
Heatwave deaths soaring by 444% in Sydney and 423% in Darwin.
A surge in mosquito- and tick-borne diseases.
More frequent category 4 and 5 cyclones.
Large hail events along the east coast.
Increased bushfire risk in forested areas, with more dangerous fire weather days in southern and eastern states.
The report also flagged 63 nationally significant risks — ranging from threats to First Nations communities, to mental health challenges, infrastructure damage, and the loss of wildlife species.
On the economic side, the costs are staggering.
Property value losses could hit $611 billion by 2050, rising to $770 billion by 2090.
Disaster costs from floods, bushfires, storms and cyclones could reach $40.3 billion every year under a moderate warming scenario.
Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the report makes it clear that regional Australians will bear the brunt.
Stay tuned with Aus News Lanka – the leading platform for news for Australians.
Comments