1
1. Executive Summary
Overview
Global Climate Change may be the greatest emerging environmental challenge for current and future
generations on the Earth. Early action to adapt to climate change may help to reduce its negative
impacts upon the community and its resources and enable potential opportunities to be realised.
Planning is a fundamental part of adaptation to anticipate and prepare for change.
The Cities of Port Adelaide Enfield, Charles Sturt, and West Torrens in collaboration with the South
Australian and Commonwealth Governments have embarked upon the development of a Climate Change
Adaptation Plan for the Western Adelaide region.
The aim of the overall project (broken into four discrete stages) is the development of a co-ordinated and
collaborative program of strategies to reduce the vulnerability of the region’s communities, environment,
and infrastructure, to the hazards related to climate change. The programs and strategies are to be
based on sound evidence and risk assessment. This report addresses Stage One of the project.
The report provides a high resolution climate change assessment for the Western Adelaide region by
using the most recent and authoritative modelling available locally and nationally. It also contains a
detailed profile of the region’s social, economic, infrastructure, and environmental assets and resources
and identifies potential threats from climate change upon these. This information is essential for
establishing the region’s baseline from which key risks and vulnerabilities can be identified. The report
analyses a broad range of data sets across multiple fields and determines broad implications for the
region from climate change and issues to consider through the adaptation planning process.
Governance frameworks that influence successful climate change adaptation are examined and potential
barriers are identified. It is critical to resolve these barriers in order to support the implementation of the
adaptation plans.
This Stage One report has also identified a suite of information gaps and offers recommendations in
relation to further studies and activities that will widen the knowledge base and assist in the community’s
understanding of risks across the region.
The major findings of the report and associated recommendations are summarised below.
Climate Projections
The Study Area is projected to become warmer and drier over time. Drying of the climate is projected to
be accompanied by a slight change in the seasonality of rainfall. Climate models suggest there will be
less change during autumn than during spring, although changes in atmospheric circulation with climate
change suggest that autumn and winter rainfall may be most affected.
