Australia has warmed up by 1.51°C since 1910 - that might not sound like much, but it's actually a lot for our planet! This makes Australia one of the fastest-warming places on Earth.
Summers are getting longer and hotter, and the past decade has seen record-breaking hot weather that makes natural disasters worse. The hottest days are becoming more common, making it harder for people, animals, and plants to stay cool.
Australia is building the world's largest solar farm in Queensland called SunCable, which will have 20 million solar panels and provide clean electricity to 3 million homes!
Planting more trees in cities to give shade and cool things down
Creating cool roofs and pavements that don't get as hot
Installing more solar panels and wind turbines to make clean energy instead of burning coal and gas
Australia has always had bushfires, but climate change is making them more dangerous and happen more often.
xtreme fire weather is increasing across Australia. Bushfire conditions are now more dangerous than in the past, and the risk to people and property has increased. The famous "Black Summer" fires in 2019-2020 were some of the worst in Australia's history.
There have been big increases in dangerous fire weather conditions since the 1970s. Hotter temperatures dry out the plants and trees, making them burn more easily.
Using fire-fighting planes that are like flying fire trucks: Australia has special aircraft called "Large Air Tankers" that can drop 15,000 liters of water or fire retardant on fires - that's enough to fill a small swimming pool!
Using satellites and drones to spot fires early before they get too big
Training more firefighters and getting better firefighting equipment
Creating firebreaks (cleared strips of land) to stop fires from spreading
Doing controlled burns when it's safe to clear away dry plants
Around Australia, sea levels have risen 22 centimetres since 1900 – with half of that since 1970. This happens because when oceans get warmer, the water expands and takes up more space, plus ice melting from glaciers adds more water.
Many of Australia's biggest cities are right on the coast, so rising seas can flood beaches, damage buildings, and make storm surges worse during big storms.
Building floating sea walls that move with the waves: In places like the Gold Coast, engineers are creating special barriers that float on the water and protect the shore, kind of like giant pool noodles but much stronger!
Restoring sand dunes and wetlands that act like natural barriers
Moving important buildings further from the coast
Planting mangrove trees that help stop erosion
SUNx Malta is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to Climate Friendly Travel (Paris 1.5, SDGs, and Nature Positive tourism). Dodo4Kids is one of our educational initiatives, inspiring young travelers to explore the world responsibly through stories, activities, and gamified learning.
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