Australian science institutions have active programs of research that make important contributions to the understanding of the global climate system and the impacts of climate change and variability within Australia.
The Australian Climate Change Science Program, jointly managed by Department of Climate Change, CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology, is the chief driver of climate change research in Australia.
The MDBC, the Victorian State Government and other organisations (including water authorities and Catchment Management Authorities) have also undertaken a range of relevant studies with a view to better understanding the impacts of climate change at a regional and local level.
Several programs have focused on Australian climate variability, for example the Managing Climate Variability Program within the Land & Water Australia portfolio, which is of critical importance to grain producers and the agricultural sector more broadly.
SEACI will also build on the knowledge generated by the Indian Ocean Climate Initiative (IOCI) in Western Australia. This program of research has been running since 1998. Like SEACI, IOCI is aimed at better understanding both climate variability and climate change.
Internationally, the science of climate change is assessed every few years by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which issued its Fourth Assessment Report in 2007.
MORE INFORMATION:
Australian Climate Change Science Program | www.greenhouse.gov.au/science/accsp
Managing Climate Variability Program | www.managingclimate.gov.au
Indian Ocean Climate Initiative | www.ioci.org.au
The Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research | www.cawcr.gov.au
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change | www.ipcc.ch