Short and Long Term Effects of Global Warming on Australia

 

Economy medium effects (food):

-Fish availability varies with sea surface temperatures

-Beef and dairy cattle will have lower productivity

-Australian wine will need to adapt

 

Effects on Australians:

-Increase in heat-related deaths and illnesses

-Increase in the range of malaria, dengue fever and similar diseases

-Larger number of diarrhoea

-Increase rick of deaths due to floods

-Impacts on mental health due to social and economic disruption

 

Australia’s environment:

-Many of our animals will have their habitat reduced significantly

-Coral reefs inshore

-Alpine ecosystems  are the least able to adapt as there’s no higher they can go

-Highland rainforest will lose up to 50% of their area, though lowland rainforest may in area. Birds and animals dependent on this environment will lose between 60 and 90 % of their habitat

-Coastal wetlands will be lost to sea level rises. Other wetlands will need to adapt to reduced rainfall, increased nutrient and sediment loading and increased erosion

-Native forests may change substantially

-Ricers will be most affected by an increase in extreme events – floods and droughts

-Weeds and pest animals will increase their impact under global warming