Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) has welcomed the report Too hot to handle the scorching reality of Australia's climate-security failure released this week by the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group (ASLCG). The ASLCG report is highly critical of the federal government for not recognising climate change as a major security risk.
It warns that the effects of climate change are amplifying issues of poverty, food security and population displacement in the region.
SPA national president Peter Strachan says the risks associated with climate change are bigger than most people realise and demand a response beyond climate mitigation.
"These changes are happening now, and I believe the pace of change will increase," says Mr Strachan. "By 2030 the level of concern is likely to be at critical levels in many regions, including on Australia's tropical north.
"From a sustainable population perspective, acting now to boost access to free, voluntary family planning technology must be a priority both locally and in Australia's regional humanitarian aid programme.
"We are talking about the possibility of hundreds of thousands of people being displaced by the effects of climate change by 2050. Large-scale relocation of people into Australia will not ameliorate the situation globally and would only weaken Australia's ability to help globally.
"Ideally, people should be relocated in their own country or nearby. This is another area where Australia has to step up its overseas aid to help in this regard.
"Former Defence Chief Chris Barrie is warning that Australia needs to 'harden-up' its northern shores to prevent mass arrivals or face the devastating environmental, economic, and social consequences of seeing large numbers of undocumented arrivals.
"There are terrible choices to be made as the apocalyptic events that Sustainable Population Australia has been warning against for 36 years, move ever closer to reality."
