About the Strategy

Climate Change Strategy Summary

Natural resource managers across the West Gippsland region are very familiar with the effects of a variable and changing climate. They have faced challenging climate related events in recent times, including wildfire, flood and drought. These major events have caused substantial damage to the natural environment in some areas of the region and have had an impact on the region's economy and communities.

To help understand and better prepare for the impacts of climate change on the natural environment, we have developed a Regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) Climate Change Strategy in collaboration with our partner organisations, through funding from the Australian Government.

The Strategy is a sub-strategy of the West Gippsland Regional Catchment Strategy (RCS). It is based on the latest climate projections, a literature review, an impact and vulnerability assessment and regional stakeholder consultation.

The Strategy aims to support the integration of climate change knowledge into the current RCS implementation program and help inform future regional planning efforts.

It provides a suite of options for natural resource managers to consider implementing, designed to help improve the capacity of highly valued, vulnerable natural ecosystems to adapt to a drier, warmer, and more variable future climate.

The Strategy identifies areas within the region that may be suitable for establishing vegetation to help improve landscape connectivity and sequester carbon. It also explores emerging opportunities to store blue carbon through the protection and restoration of coastal ecosystems such as saltmarsh, mangrove and seagrass communities.

A copy of the West Gippsland Regional NRM Climate Change Strategy can be accessed from the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority's website here.