The impacts of climate change can be significant to Ramsar wetlands globally. In Australia, increasing temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and other climatic extremes are expected to alter hydrological regimes and increase the vulnerability of the ecological assets in these sites. The largest and iconic basin, the Murray-Darling Basin, has 16 Ramsar wetlands, which are particularly vulnerable to a drier and hotter climate expected in the future. In response to these challenges, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), in collaboration with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), is developing climate adaptation pathways with partners and stakeholders at three Ramsar wetlands: Riverland, Barmah, and Macquarie Marshes in the Murray Darling Basin.
Through a participatory process, the project identifies the key values at these wetlands and their vulnerability to climate change. These include key drivers affecting the ecology of the sites, as well as changes in climate variables such as temperature, rainfall, and extreme events and associated hazards like drought and wildfires. Impact pathways are developed for these values, providing clear guidance on what values will change and what might persist at the site. Multiple lines of evidence, such as quantitative vulnerability assessments and climate analogues, are being used to understand how each site will respond to anticipated changes. First Nation knowledge and engagement are critical to this process, including understanding how these values can be reflected through the creation stories (Yorta-Yorta Nation, Barmah Ramsar site).
The co-design approach has encouraged improved learning and co-ownership of the outputs across different groups, and the collaborative effort ensures that the project outcomes are relevant, practical, and actionable, ultimately contributing to the sustainable management of Australia's Ramsar wetlands in the face of climate change. The project aims to establish a toolkit to assess vulnerability and develop adaptation pathways that can be applied to other sites.