Land Cover Change Management

Question 1

Adaptation - Desalination

Answer 1

• Over 40% of the world’s population face water shortages
• The construction of desalination plants (industrial facilities that produce drought-immune drinking water from sea water) allows for increased water security for a region
• Globally, over 300M people get their water from over 20 000 desalination facilities
• Saudi Arabia produces one fifth of the world’s desalinated water supply
• The United Nations predicts that by 2050, hundreds of millions of people may be displaced due to increased water scarcity, and desalination plants are one possible adaptation to cope with the changes in rainfall patterns
• Climate change has resulted in more rainfall in the North of WA, while the southwest is becoming drier (with a 12% decline in rainfall since 1990), and the rainwater supply is reducing
• Groundwater currently supplies 40% of Perth’s water supply, providing water to more than 2 million people living in the metropolitan area. To adapt to the decline and the needs of residents across WA, 45% of Perth’s water supply was produced by two desalination plants in 2020-21

Question 2

Adaptation - Prescribed Burns

Answer 2

• Prescribed burns are an adaptation strategy which aim to reduce the potential risk of damage from out-of-control fires, which have become increasingly frequent and severe due to climate change. They consist of small-scale fires deliberately started and controlled by officials for the purpose of land management by reducing fuel build up
• Prescribed burns work to mitigate the severity of bushfires by removing cured material, and maintain biodiversity and ecosystem health (burning back undergrowth allows some seeds to germinate and prevents invasive species from ‘choking’ native ones)
• The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) aims to have 45% of the forest area they manage to have a fuel load of just 6 years or less, to reduce the severity of bushfires
• The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) also supports private land owners with advice on how to burn leaf litter and reduce fuel loads on their own properties. Burns are recommended between April and October in southern WA, however experience reduced effectiveness as the process relies on compliance by private landowners
• Prescribed burns do carry some negative impacts, as smoke can affect visibility on the roads and affect people with asthma or other respiratory diseases
• Between 2002 and 2017, particle air pollution exceeded the acceptable standard in Australia for 271 days, or 4.6% of the time. This lead to 41 premature deaths and 273 hospitalisations, and a health cost of $97.1 million

Question 3

Mitigation - Carbon Capture and Storage

Answer 3

• CCS is a method that involves the capture of carbon dioxide from large point sources, such as fossil fuel power plants, and from the atmosphere (in a process of carbon sequestration), then transporting it and depositing it in a storage site. Typically this takes place deep underground with the carbon existing as a solid
• As of 2022, there are 26 commercial CCS projects in operation with another 34 facilities announced or already in production
• According to the Centre of Climate and Energy Solutions, CCS has the potential to capture more than 90% of CO2 emissions from power plants and industrial facilities, and can achieve a reduction of 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
• The total CO2 capture capacity from the 22 operational projects occurring in countries that have adopted the strategies is approximately 40 million tonnes per annum
• It is a very cost intensive process however, with the costs associated with CCS being at least six times more than comparable wind power. Current costs range between $40-$120 per tonne of CO2 removed from the atmosphere

Question 4

Mitigation - Renewable Energy

Answer 4

• Renewable energy is energy derived from sources that are essentially inexhaustible, meaning they can be used indefinitely as they are replenished by natural processes
• Renewable energy sources include wind, wave, hydro, solar, geothermal, and biomass
• Renewable energy sources create electricity without directly producing any greenhouse gas emissions, however the production of green infrastructure does
• Globally, over 160 countries have renewable energy targets, and a third of global power capacity is based off of renewable energy
• Governments spend around $600B a year subsidising fossil fuels, five times the amount spent supporting clean or renewable energies, which accounts for 13.5% of global energy supply
• Coal is responsible for 46% of global carbon dioxide emissions, with six countries responsible for 82% of coal-powered plants. Coal also has a range of health impacts as combustion processes can cause acid rain, smog, and illnesses
• In coming years, China, Europe, America and India will account for 80% of expansion or renewable energy capacity, with wind or solar being the cheapest source of new energy generation in most markets
• Australia is on track to have 50% of its electricity derived from renewable sources by 2050