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Historic Content you are reading content from a previous reporting year.

Showing 30 of 30 results

Figure ANT8 Annual average estimated cumulative ice mass loss and sea level equivalent

2016
Antarctic environment
State and trends
Graph

Gt = gigatonne; mm = millimetreSource: Adapted from Figure 4.16 of Vaughan et al. (2013) Figure ANT8 Annual average estimated cumulative ice mass loss and sea level equivalent, 1992–2012 The physical environment: The cryosphere

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Global importance of Antarctica

2016
Antarctic environment
Introduction
Report Content

2016 Antarctic environment Introduction Marine South West Marine South East Antarctica Although isolated from other continents, Antarctica is...

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Antarctic environment: 2011–16 in context

2016
Antarctic environment
Introduction
Report Content

2016 Antarctic environment Introduction Antarctica Since 2011, the Antarctic environment has continued to respond to global pressures from human activity. As is the case in other regions of the...

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Risks to Australia’s climate 2016

2016
Climate
Risks
At a glance

At a glanceAn understanding of the risks associated with Australia’s climate will lead to improved action plans to adapt to the changes predicted to occur. Our climate is a dynamic system; therefore, the risks need to be re-evaluated frequently. Recent climate change projections for...

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Outlook for Australia’s climate 2016

2016
Climate
Outlook
At a glance

At a glanceThe outlook for Australia’s climate depends on the effectiveness of international and national efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Without mitigation, surface temperature increases of 3.7–4.8 °C above 1850–1900 temperatures are projected. To remain below 2 °C warming above...

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Introduction 2016

2016
Climate
Introduction
At a glance

Australia has always been a land of extremes. In a single year, we can experience heatwaves, floods, fires, cyclones and drought. Australia’s highly variable climate is influenced year to year by large-scale drivers in the atmosphere and ocean, such as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO...

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Direct (primary) effects of pressures on climate

2016
Climate
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Climate Pressures Greater Sydney The CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology State of the climate 2014 (CSIRO...

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Indirect (secondary and tertiary) effects of pressures on climate

2016
Climate
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Climate Pressures Timor Sea Great Barrier Reef Changes in temperature and precipitation, and extreme events trigger indirect effects of climate change on the...

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Risks to biodiversity 2016

2016
Biodiversity
Risks
At a glance

At a glanceEscalation of existing risks such as invasive species, climate change and changing fire regimes, and the interactions between these risks, will continue to exert significant and widespread changes on biodiversity. The importance of some risks, or at least the perception of those...

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Jurisdictional reporting on pressures

2016
Biodiversity
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Biodiversity Pressures Tasmania Greater Darwin Australian Capital Territory Each state and territory in Australia has highlighted a range of...

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Global climate change and climate variability

2016
Biodiversity
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Biodiversity Pressures Tasmania All recent state and territory SoE reports note the adverse effects of global climate change on biodiversity. These increasingly include extreme weather, as...

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Pressures facing aquatic ecosystems

2016
Biodiversity
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Biodiversity Pressures In this report, we describe pressures facing biodiversity in general. However, pressures facing aquatic ecosystems are described in detail in the Coasts (coastal and estuarine ecosystems),...

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Management status

2016
Biodiversity
Effectiveness of management
Report Content

2016 Biodiversity Effectiveness of management Murray Darling Tasmania National Reserve System and National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas Australia has...

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Pressures affecting the built environment 2016

2016
Built environment
Pressures
At a glance

At a glanceA range of pressures on the built environment have a high or very high impact on livability, human health and/or urban environmental efficiency. Pressures from a growing population have a high impact on the urban footprint, because of a lack of coordinated and integrated urban...

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Risks to the built environment 2016

2016
Built environment
Risks
At a glance

At a glanceExtreme weather and natural events are considered the largest risks to the built environment. The likelihood of occurrence of these events is considered ‘almost certain’, with the impacts variable, depending on the risk. Despite the assessment that the built environment is quite...

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Outlook for the built environment 2016

2016
Built environment
Outlook
At a glance

At a glanceThe outlook for the built environment continues to be mixed. The major drivers of population growth and climate change pose significant challenges in relation to housing location and infrastructure, although this report suggests that per-capita reductions and improved efficiencies...

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Increased sea levels

2016
Built environment
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Built environment Pressures South West Coast South Australian Gulf North East Coast Greater Brisbane Greater...

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Climate change

2016
Heritage
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Heritage Pressures Murray Darling Tasmania Great Barrier Reef Marine North Greater Sydney...

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Risks to the coastal environment 2016

2016
Coasts
Risks
At a glance

At a glanceDespite concerted efforts to manage pressures on the coast, there remains residual risk that impacts will still occur. Here we categorise each of the pressures identified in this report in terms of their likelihood to cause impact and the severity of that impact, once current...

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Outlook for the coastal environment 2016

2016
Coasts
Outlook
At a glance

At a glanceThe current pressures associated with human population, catchment land use, agriculture and resource extraction are growing and will be exacerbated by the increasing pressures of climate change. The most significant climate change pressures for the coast include sea level rise,...

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Land–water interface

2016
Coasts
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Coasts Pressures South West Coast South Australian Gulf Greater Adelaide Great Barrier Reef Greater Melbourne...

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Coastal waterways

2016
Coasts
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Coasts State and trends South East Coast South West Coast Murray Darling Tasmania Greater Brisbane...

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Box BIO8 The central rock-rat

2016
Biodiversity
State and trends
Case Study

The central rock-rat (Zyzomys pedunculatus) is a medium-sized (body mass 70–150 grams) native rodent (family Muridae) that is endemic to the mountain ranges and adjacent foothills of arid central Australia. The action plan for Australian mammals 2012 recommends an upgrade to its...

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Terrestrial plant and animal species: Mammals

2016
Biodiversity
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Biodiversity State and trends Great Barrier Reef Mammals The state and trend of mammals varies considerably. In 2014, The action plan for Australian mammals 2012 (Woinarski et al. 2014)...

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6 Marine environment | 7 Outlook for the marine environment

2011
Marine environment
Outlook
At a glance

At a glanceAustralia's oceans and coastal marine ecosystems are overall in good condition and have experienced only gradual decline, although there are many coastal areas where conditions are already poor or very poor. Indeed, some of the world’s worst examples of impacts from pollution can...

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6 Marine environment | 6 Risks to the marine environment

2011
Marine environment
Risks
At a glance

At a glanceThe main risks to the future of the marine environment are from the impacts of climate change—mainly increased temperature, ocean acidification and sea level changes. The interaction of these with the legacy effects of past poor management practices, and with the existing...

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State and trends of physical and chemical processes

2011
Marine environment
State and trends
Assessment summary

This assessment summary has changed in 2016 The new 2016 assessment summary combines ecological processes, physical...

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Pressures resulting from climate change

2011
Marine environment
Pressures
Report Content

2011 Marine environment Pressures South East Coast Tasmania Marine South West Great Barrier Reef Marine North West...

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Marine ecosystem health

2011
Marine environment
State and trends
Report Content

2011 Marine environment State and trends Marine Temperate East Marine South West Great Barrier Reef Marine North...

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Global importance of Antarctica

2011
Antarctic environment
Introduction
Report Content

2011 Antarctic environment Introduction Antarctica Although isolated from other continents, Antarctica is connected to the rest of world through oceanic and atmospheric circulations. Antarctica...

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Australia State of the Environment 2016 has been prepared by independent experts using the best available information to support assessments of environmental condition, pressures, management effectiveness, resilience, risks and outlook.

This site is a major undertaking to improve the usability of SoE information. We are grateful for the support of users in our ongoing efforts to improve SoE reporting.  Please report problems with the site via our feedback page.

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Acknowledgment of Country

We, the authors, acknowledge the traditional owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community; we pay respect to them and their cultures and to their elders both past and present.

© Commonwealth of Australia 2017-2018

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