The role of applied climate education in managing climate change in Australia (Will not be presenting at the conference)

The mounting scientific evidence of human-induced climate change is adding to the challenge of managing the high climate variability in Australia. Droughts in particular cause large losses and fluctuations in agricultural production and income, and the prospect of lower rainfall, higher temperatures and higher climate variability in many regions will increase the need for good management.

Recent improvements in seasonal climate forecasting, computers and communications have provided new opportunities to move from reactive to proactive management of climatic risks and opportunities. Although surveys have shown that improved accuracy in seasonal climate forecasts would probably lead to their increased use, applied climate education can empower managers to make the best use of the tools already available. This should help to avoid such problems as overstocking, poor choice of crops and general degradation of natural resources.

Applied climate education in Australia in the past has mainly concentrated on climate science through one-day workshops, software, books and web sites. However, there has been a lack of focus in strategic planning at the management level to address climate risk. Recently though, a national course, called ClimEd was developed to fill this gap in promoting self-reliance. This course emphasizes the need to learn more about climate, and then apply that knowledge to management decisions. The approach is focused on developing climate risk management strategies based upon analyses of climate variability, enterprise data, seasonal forecast information and the impacts of climate on alternative management options.

This paper will describe how applied climate education is provided in Australia. It will also discuss possible ways of incorporating information about climate change into processes and materials for vocational education. The starting premise is that better preparation for managing climate variability should at least help to improve the management of climate change.