Local impacts of climate change

What is climate change and what does it mean for Mount Alexander Shire?

The term "climate change" refers to changes in our climate over time, from global to local scales.

It includes changes in temperature (averages, minimums, maximums), rainfall, frequency and severity of extreme weather events, sea levels, and wind patterns. While there have always been some changes in the earth’s climate, it is now widely accepted that the significant changes in climate experienced over the past hundred years are due to human activity.

Climate change is caused by increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which trap heat close to the earth’s surface.

The increase results from activities like extraction and burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and land clearing, and waste disposal and decomposition. While we can avoid the worst effects of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, some impacts are unavoidable and are already being experienced by many people and ecosystems around the globe.  

Work undertaken by the Victorian Government, in partnership with the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), resulted in the Victorian Climate Projections 2019.

More information can be found at a state and regional level:

The forecast changes in climate for Mount Alexander Shire will impact all sectors of the shire.

For example, an annual decrease of 20mm in rainfall in our region will impact food production; water supply for consumption and for watering parks, gardens and sportsgrounds; waterway health; and potentially the species composition of vegetation communities, and therefore food supply for different species of wildlife.