Integrating pollution reporting, climate change adaptation, disaster risk management and land-use planning: A case study of the 2011 Brisbane floods

Abstract

Natural hazards and extreme weather events pose significant environmental, economic and social risks that are likely to increase under the impacts of climate change (Thomalla et al. 2006; IPCC 2011; Steffen and Hughes 2013). In response, risk management is now seen to be the responsibility of all sectors of society (government, business and the community) with the policy and planning focus shifting to responses that are more integrated and collaborative (Thomalla et al. 2006). The task has been made more challenging by the increasing uncertainty, frequency and/or intensity of extreme weather events and climate change adds to the risk by contributing to increasing temperatures, heatwaves, bushfires, sea-level rise, storm surges, intense rainfall events, and flooding (Hennessy et al. 2007; IPCC 2007b, 2007d, 2011; Steffen and Hughes 2013). The underlying issue considered in this chapter has three components. First, governments are increasingly being asked to do more with less as the list of policy problems grows, while there are constant demands for reducing taxes and cutting public spending. Second, scarce public resources may not be being used most efficiently because different branches and levels of government often operate in isolation, so the information and expertise built up by one branch or level is not being fully used by others. Third, disaster risk management and climate change adaptation add to the problem because they demand substantial public expenditure, impose extra costs and require more effective coordination across the public, private and community sectors.