Our Changing Snowscapes
Climate Change Impacts and Recommendations for the Australian Alps
Why POW Australia commissioned this report:
This report, titled Our Changing Snowscapes: Climate Change Impacts and Recommendations for the Australian Alps was developed by the Australian Mountain Research Facility and ANU. POW Australia initiated this report to address fragmented and outdated information on climate impacts in the Australian Alps, which has previously focused on snowfall and ecological changes while neglecting social and economic consequences.
By commissioning this report, we aimed to consolidate the latest knowledge on climate impacts and projections for the Australian Alps, considering a wide range of economic, social and environmental factors. The spectacular Australian Alps extend over 1.6 million hectares of public land across 11 national parks and nature reserves in New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory. They are home to nationally significant winter-tourism industries, vibrant regional communities and some of Australia's most unique and fragile landscapes.
What this report covers:
This report provides a comprehensive review of academic literature on current and projected climate change impacts on the Australian Alps - and introduces new, Australia-first modelling of these impacts on the ski industry. It highlights a series of interconnected effects on alpine tourism, regional communities, hydroelectricity, high country water flows to the Murray-Darling Basin, carbon sequestration, high country ecosystems, and First Nations impacts. The report also makes recommendations on how we can best respond to these challenges.
Executive Summary
The Australian Alps region encompasses approximately 5,200 km2 above the nominal seasonal snowline in south-eastern Australia.
The Australian Alps is one of Australia’s most unique and fragile landscapes, with 31 endemic flora species and further endemic fauna species, including the Mountain Pygmy Possum and Southern Corroboree Frog. Flora and fauna of the Australian Alps is particularly vulnerable to climate change, because unlike in many other countries, there are limited higher elevation areas which replicate their original habitats in a new climate.
The spectacular Australian Alps extend over 1.6 million hectares of public land contained in 11 national parks and nature reserves across New South Wales (NSW), Victoria (VIC), and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
The impact of climate change on temperature, precipitation, and snow conditions in the Australian Alps is stark and has been heralded for more than three decades. In 1988, Galloway et al. predicted that climate change will drastically impact the Australian Alps, and that even small temperature increases would have a catastrophic impact on the Australian winter tourism industry. The Australian snowpack is now at a 2,000-year low. Snow cover between 1954 and 2012 has reduced by 30% and the length of the ski season has already contracted by 17% - 28% across most Australian alpine resorts. Businesses and regional communities at present are experiencing the impacts of climate change and these impacts are projected to worsen rapidly without decisive climate mitigation.
Report Sections
The entire Our Changing Snowscapes report is 129 pages long and is available to download in PDF format using the button below.
To make the report more approachable for our community and the general public we have broken it down into individual sections.
Click on the tiles below to browse the report contents and access a section summary, the key recommendations and a downloadable PDF version of each report section.
Note: This is a reasonably large file (36MB), please be patient as it downloads.Climate
Projections
The impact of climate change on the Australian Alps is
stark and has been heralded for more than three decades.
Climate Projections
The impact of climate change on the Australian Alps is stark and has been heralded for more than three decades.
Alpine
Tourism
If the current trajectory of climate change continues, the
Australian ski industry will change dramatically by 2050.
Alpine Tourism
If the current trajectory of climate change continues, the Australian ski industry will change dramatically by 2050.
Regional
Communities
The total economic contribution of alpine resorts to the
Australian economy was an estimated $3.33 billion in 2019.
Regional Communities
The total economic contribution of alpine resorts to the Australian economy was an estimated $3.33 billion in 2019.
Hydroelectricity in the
Australian Alps
Hydroelectricity production in the Australian Alps will face
reduced inflows as a result of climate change.
Hydroelectricity in the Australian Alps
Hydroelectricity production in the Australian Alps will face reduced inflows as a result of climate change.
Murray-Darling
Basin
The Australian Alps provide 9,600GL of water per year into the
Murray-Darling Basin - around 29% of the Basin’s annual flows.
Murray-Darling Basin
The Australian Alps provide 9,600GL of water per year into the Murray-Darling Basin - around 29% of the Basin’s annual flows.
Carbon
Sequestration
Soils in the Australian Alps have high organic material
& carbon content, making them important carbon sinks.
Carbon Sequestration
Soils in the Australian Alps have high organic material & carbon content, making them important carbon sinks.
High Country
Ecosystems
Climate change is already impacting alpine ecosystems,
threatening extinctions & causing ecological transformation.
High Country Ecosystems
Climate change is already impacting alpine ecosystems, threatening extinctions & causing ecological transformation.
First
Nations
The Alps have great significance to First Nations, particularly
as a site for annual celebrations & spiritual connection.
First Nations
The Alps have great significance to First Nations, particularly as a site for annual celebrations & spiritual connection.
Decision-making &
Governance
The greater climate mitigation action that can be achieved,
the more likely adaptation will generate desirable outcomes.
Decision-making & Governance
The greater climate mitigation action that can be achieved, the more likely adaptation will generate desirable outcomes.
Mitigation &
Adaptation Strategies
Report Appendix: Reviewing formal government strategy in
the context of the Australian Alps.
Mitigation & Adaptation Strategies
Report Appendix: Reviewing formal government strategy in the context of the Australian Alps.
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