Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
for climate change adaptation in
Australia's region
Andrew Hewett
1
Introduction
It is becoming increasingly clear that humanity is failing to rise to the challenge
of addressing climate change. Our emissions are rising faster than expected and
we are neglecting the people most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change,
both in our region and around the world. The United Nations Environmental
Program's Executive Director, Achim Steiner, recently reflected on these trends
and stated:
I think that the historians will one day write off the decade of 2010-2020 as
one of the tragic moments of indecision … of an international community
and a world economy that was perfectly capable of moving to another level
of carbon emissions trajectories but didn't choose to do so for what will then
seem perhaps, completely extraneous reasons.
(Steiner, 2011)
There is no doubt we are headed in the wrong direction. Climate change is already
negatively impacting the lives and livelihoods of poor women and men around
the globe. In our region, the human security of millions is being threatened. For
example, Oxfam's partners across the Pacific are experiencing increasing salt-water
intrusion due to rising sea levels as well as more frequent and intense storm events.
This salt water is killing off food crops and poisoning fresh water wells. Climate
change is eroding these communities' access to basic needs such as food and water.
There has never been a more important time to assist developing countries in
coping with the impacts of climate change and to reduce our emissions, which
are driving this deadly trend. Despite this urgency, effective adaptation to climate
change for the most vulnerable countries remains elusive.
Building upon the broad definition of human security offered by Christoff
and Eckersley (2013,
Chapter 11
, this volume), I will explore the context of
vulnerability to climate change in Australia's regional neighbourhood, especially
South-East Asia and the island states of the South Pacific Ocean, paying
particular attention to food security challenges. This chapter will then move to
consider the tripartite political challenge Australia faces in relation to effective
