Climate resilience

Human induced climate change is driving changes in the frequency, range and severity of weather patterns around the world. Even with successful action to reduce greenhouse emissions, the impacts of climate change will continue to increase over the coming decades. Although climate change is a global phenomenon, the impacts of climate change are experienced locally. Going forward Waverley can expect:

  • Average temperatures to increase yearly
  • More frequent extreme heat (days above of 35°C)
  • Extended drought periods
  • Changing seasonality of rainfall
  • Increased intense rainfall events
  • Increased air quality risks associated with regional bushfire
  • Longer summers and shorter winters, with a likelihood of increased storm activity in summer and autumn
  • Increasing coastal risks- with current emission rates, Sydney’s mean sea levels are projected to rise 15cm by 2030 and 50cm by 2070

Planning and managing local climate change risks can build our climate resilience, and strengthens our capacity to survive, adapt and thrive in the face of increasing uncertainty and disruptions.

In 2020, Council established an internal Resilience Committee and Framework to coordinate and monitor identified local climate risks and take actions to achieve our resilience goals. Examples include:

  • Adapting planning and development requirements to account for areas that will become more prone to flood and erosion.
  • Increasing tree canopy and green cover which not only reduces localised heat islands, exacerbated by global warming but removes carbon dioxide from the air.
  • Adapting public facilities to be able to better withstand extreme weather.
  • An action plan for the Waverley Resilience Framework will be published in the second half of 2024.

EAP chart