'New report on Vic's Resilience Inquiry reveals united appeal for increased funding of climate adaptation and the most popular climate adaptation solutions'
United Call For More Investment in Adaptation
More being invested in climate adaptation by the Victorian Government was the number one action called for in the submissions to its Inquiry into Climate Resilience. This was strongly appealed by councils, organisations, and community members alike, with 84% of submissions saying more funding is essential.
This and other data from Resilience Inquiry submissions - the most mentioned climate impacts of concern and the most popular climate adaptation solutions put forward - has been published in a new report - VIC Climate Resilience Inquiry Analysed: The leading concerns & adaptation solutions.
The report, which has been compiled by the Act on Climate collective (AoC) at Friends of the Earth Melbourne, shares how Victorian communities can and want to adapt, as well as inspiring examples of what community-led climate adaptation looks like.
It reveals a united appeal for increased funding of climate adaptation, high concern for those most at risk in our communities and the need for localised, community-led climate adaptation, as well as the most popular climate adaptation solutions.
Resilience Inquiry Background
The Victorian Government's Inquiry into Climate Resilience took a much-needed look into the risks facing Victoria's built environment and infrastructure from climate change and the impact these will have on the people of Victoria. AoC has been ensuring community members' voices are heard through this Inquiry, both their concerns and the solutions they want to see enacted.
Following the finalisation of submissions to this Inquiry, to ensure community feedback and the most urgent concerns for people across Victoria are heard, AoC gathered the data presented in this report from all of the submissions available for public viewing.
Climate Impacts Impeding Victorian's Way of Life
"It is vital we take a grassroots approach to acting on climate, listening to those on the frontlines of climate impacts and enabling them to lead on the climate adaptation solutions implemented," Vicky Ellmore, AoC Community Organiser, said.
"Climate impacts are here now. Victorian communities are already battling escalating extreme weather such as bushfires, heatwaves, and floods. And this is predicted to get worse because of locked-in warming due to climate change."
A growing body of research demonstrates that climate impacts are impeding Victorians' way of life, increasing cost of living, making summer holidays chaotic and anxiety-inducing, and hindering the ability of many to do their job safely and optimally. Food supply, health (mental and physical), source of income, cost of living, access to healthcare, housing, transportation, and recreational activities are all at risk.
Victoria is one of the most vulnerable states in the world, with it being in the top 5% of highest risk states globally, according to the Cross Dependency Initiative's (XDI) Gross Domestic Climate Risk. Its analysis also identified a 74% increase in damage to property in Victoria from 1990 to 2050.
Protecting Those Most At Risk a Priority
The second-most mentioned issue in all the publicly available submissions was ensuring that those most at risk are protected from the incoming impacts of climate change. 75% of submissions called for those most at risk to be safeguarded.
"Many people across Victoria are worried about adaptation strategies not taking into account those most at risk, by neither involving nor protecting them from foreseen climate risks," India Rowles, AoC Community Organiser, noted.
"To build resilience to climate disasters, we must put the needs of those most at risk at the forefront of our preparation, plans and response."
Fund Would Keep People Safe & Reduce Costs For Gov & Individuals
In response to what it has heard when visiting communities around the state, AoC is calling on the Victorian Government to establish, and the Resilience Inquiry committee to recommend, a permanent Victorian Community Climate Adaptation Fund (VCCAF). The fund would distribute money annually to community groups that apply to undertake localised adaptation initiatives.
"It would reduce the risk, as well as reducing costs for the Government and Victorians. It would keep people, Country and infrastructure safe from the climate impacts that are unavoidable and here now," Ms Ellmore stated.
The results of the Inquiry into Climate Resilience firmly back up this call, with half (49.5%) calling for ongoing funding and over a third (39.5%) calling for AoC's VCCAF specifically.
Funding adaptation now will reduce recovery costs, as well as ease pressure on our health system and economy from climate impacts. Waiting to respond to climate disasters greatly increases the monetary and societal cost.
The Most Popular Climate Adaptation Solutions
Victorians are calling for support to implement the adaptation measures their communities need - they want funding now to prepare, not after the climate disaster has already occurred.
The most mentioned climate adaptation solutions called for, in the context of the Inquiry, which was focused on the built environment, are:
climate adaptation aligned building standards, legislation, and planning policies (58% of submissions),
more public education and training around climate adaptation (56% of submissions),
retrofitting such as insulation and upgrading buildings/infrastructure (52% of submissions),
green infrastructure - more trees and canopy cover (46% of submissions), and
consistent, up to date, transparent risk assessments and data (37% of submissions).
Active Government Support & Adequate Investment Needed Now
It is clear that Victorians need to be, want to be, and can be protected from climate impacts through a variety of ready and waiting climate adaptation approaches. And, it is an obligation for the Victorian Government in the Climate Change Act (2017) to implement the state's climate strategy and adaptation action plans.
"Victorian communities are feeling unprepared and unsafe in the face of the climate impacts they are already experiencing and will experience in the future. The urgency of needing to be ready for extreme weather and to ensure those most at risk are unharmed is front of mind for many. In addition, many know what needs to be done to keep their community safe, but lack the resources to do so," Ms Ellmore concluded.
"The Inquiry's outcome is clear: Victorians are united in calling for more funding for climate adaptation - an adequate and ongoing financial commitment to community resilience, with many joining AoC in calling for a permanent Victorian Community Climate Adaptation Fund (VCCAF) to prepare the state for climate disasters."
"The Government needs to actively and adequately support communities, workplaces and organisations in their preparation efforts to reduce the risks to Victoria and keep people safe from climate impacts and future disasters."
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