Climate forums call for community input

Acting Climate Services Manager at the NSW Bureau of Meteorology, Clinton Rakich, is urging people to come along and ask questions related to climate variability and change at two free climate forums being held at Deniliquin on 23 October and Albury on 24 October.

"I will be presenting information on drought dominated periods in the past including a look at the 1940s drought period, which is very similar to this one," he said.

"The Bureau is working to understand and communicate natural climate variability, while the playing field is constantly changing because of global warming."

Mr Rakich will also be looking at current climate trends by examining what is happening in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

"I will be explaining what happened this year in relation to a very late developing La Nina event that brought very little rain with it," he said.

‘Agriculture, Environment & Climate Change in the Murray Catchment’ is a joint initiative of NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and the Murray Catchment Management Authority (CMA) to help rural communities prepare for what may be the world’s greatest long-term environmental challenge.

Also addressing both forums is CSIRO’s Kevin Hennessy, a member of the Climate Impacts and Risks Group, who will be speaking on ‘Climate Change - the science, current projections and implications for the Murray’.

Head of NSW DPI’s climate risk management project, Gary Allan, said the forums were a valuable opportunity for primary producers, rural service providers and the local community to plan how they could adapt to climate change.

"Communities need to start working on how they will adapt to what is predicted to be a hotter, drier Australia according to a joint report ‘Climate Change in Australia’, released by the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO at the recent Greenhouse 2007 Conference in Sydney," he said.

• The forums run from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm.
• Although registration is required admission is free with morning tea and lunch provided.
• The Deniliquin forum will be held at the Deniliquin Golf Club.
• The Albury forum will be held at the SS&A Club.

To register, please contact Kim Krebs at the Murray CMA by Friday 19 October on (02) 6051 2204.

Photo of Clinton Rakich available by contacting sarahc@sf.nsw.gov.au

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