Parks and climate change

Climate change will impact on national parks, indeed all our natural areas, in many ways.

It will affect the temperature and acidity of our oceans, cause increased frequency and severity of bushfires, force species to move to cooler climes, and impact on the amount of water that ends up in our rivers, streams and wetlands.

These changes will impact on our natural environment in many ways, including:

• Victoria’s alpine areas and their ecosystems are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change with a significant reduction in the extent of snow cover expected over the next 20 years.
• We will see invasions of new weeds and pests as northern invaders find suitable climates in Victoria.
• Many species will be forced to cooler areas further south or to higher ground as they try to remain within their natural habitat range.

Coastal saltmarshes are important feeding grounds for a range of birds, including the highly endangered Orange-bellied Parrot. Photo courtesy DSE Victoria. Photo: courtesy DSE Victoria