Landcarers persevere in the face of climate challenges
By Tessa Jakszewicz, CEO Landcare Australia
The theme of this month’s Landcare in Focus, Climate Impacts on Farming Practices and Energy Efficiency, coincides with the recent Tropical Cyclone Debbie, a dramatic demonstration of the effect climate events can have on people and properties. We send our thoughts to those impacted by Tropical Cyclone Debbie.
We all know that climate events such as this can have devastating results, including on crops, livestock, and farmers. Landcarers are often the first to help in recovery operations and aiding communities, and I am sure many will be helping in the impacted areas. Those affected by Cyclone Debbie can also find a resource for assistance in the recovery on page 11.
Landcare Australia chief executive, Tessa Jakszewicz.
Although sometimes the outcome of such events is unavoidable, for a long time farmers have been adjusting their farming practices in response to climate variability, helping minimise the impact of extreme events when possible. Building drought resilience, changing crop varieties and sowing dates, and maintaining groundcover are just some of the methods that are successfully used.
As climate events become more frequent and more severe, farmers need to plan and prepare; some great case studies can be found on pages 4 and 11, plus some great research results where Australia is helping out on an international scale are on page 12.
As always, thank you for being a valued reader of Landcare in Focus. If you have any feedback on this or any issue, please don’t hesitate to email [email protected].
