Charles Darwin University, in partnership with the World Wide
Fund for Nature Australia and the Department of Economic and
Regional Development, has been funded by the Australian
Government’s Natural Heritage Trust to explore future
scenarios for the Northern Territory. The study will focus on the
potential impacts of climate change on the Territory’s unique
environment and way of life.
Project leader, Professor Stephen Garnett from the School for
Environmental Research, said the research was a unique opportunity
for the Northern Territory to create its own future. “All the
indications are that we have less time to adapt to climate change
than we thought even a few months ago,” Professor Garnett
said.
“But we cannot panic. With planning and ingenuity we can
still create a sustainable world. We in the Territory should see
climate change as an opportunity as well as a threat. We all share
responsibility for our future in these tough environments. This
project will give us greater understanding of the choices available
to us and the potential consequences of our decisions.”
The research will have close links with key stakeholders across
the NT including the newly established regional councils, the
Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries, and Mines and the
Aboriginal Land Councils.
The project will start in 2008 and run for three years.
