澳洲政府目前正在進行一項模擬計劃，模擬氣候變遷未來會對澳洲大陸的海岸線帶來何等影響。這項計劃將顯示出，位於澳洲海岸的基礎建設、社區住宅和生態系統，在風暴潮、洪水以及海嘯等災害下，今日光景將有何改變。
澳洲環境與水資源部長湯布（Malcolm Turnbull）表示：「85%的澳洲人口居住於海岸線附近，因此我們有必要深入了解氣候變遷將對這些區域會造成甚麼影響，並藉以規劃因應策略。透過這項計劃，澳洲海岸區將發展對應對策，抵抗氣候變遷帶來的影響。」。
據澳洲環境部於2003年的一份報告中指出，澳洲的平均溫度在上個世紀已上升0.7，且在20世紀後半葉的自然氣候變易紀錄中，亦可觀察出氣溫暖化的明顯趨勢。
該報告內容亦顯示，暖化的氣候預期將導致徑流長度縮減，河川、海口及海岸的含水層度升高，另外大量繁生的海藻亦將影響部分都會區域正常供水，並且加劇用水安全之堪虞。
有鑑於上述潛在的問題，國際氣候變遷行動網澳洲分部（CANA）針澳洲海岸地區的居民提出警告，隨著氣候系統愈來愈詭譎的表現，海岸邊的社區住宅將面臨極大風險。
The Australian government is undertaking to model the impacts of climate change on the whole coastline of the island continent. The project will help show the effects of storm surges, floods and tsunamis on Australia's coastal infrastructure, communities and ecosystems.
"This will help Australia's coastal regions plan their strategy to combat the effects of climate change," said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Malcolm Turnbull. "Eighty-five percent of Australians live on the coast and we all need to better understand how climate change will affect these regions so we can plan accordingly."
Australian average temperatures have risen by 0.7 ºC over the last century, and the warming trend appears to have emerged from the background of natural climate variability in the second half of the 20th century, the Environment Department said in a 2003 report.
Climate warming is expected to result in reduced runoff, higher riverine, estuarine and coastal aquifer salinity, and increased algal blooms which would exacerbate water supply and water quality problems in some urban areas, according to the report.
The apartments and houses in which Australians live will be at risk as climate change intensifies, according to the Climate Action Network Australia, CANA.
全文及圖片詳見 ENS
