KAKADU Faces a Loss of Freshwater Flora and Fauna due to Climate Change

Archived News, Posted on 03 Jun 2011

A report released yesterday by the Climate Change Department predicts that over the next 20 to 60 years, there will be more large floods on the South Alligator River, which is in Kakadu National Park.

The predictions are based on models predicting 143mm of sea-level rise by 2030 and 700mm of sea-level rise by 2070.

The report by environmental consultants BMT WBM found "future saltwater intrusion within the South Alligator River was likely to occur due to increased tidal pressure on dendritic channels and increased levee overtopping".

The report found the fall in freshwater flora and fauna could also affect cultural values because of a drop in "bush tucker".

"Further impacts to cultural values may include reduced access to country (including sites of cultural significance) as well as reduced recreational opportunities for local people and tourists," the report found.

Launching the report, Julia Gillard said Kakadu faced real risks from climate change.

The Prime Minister said the report talked about "the risks that flow from rising sea levels, more salt water getting into the freshwater systems in Kakadu, changing the nature of the ecology, being a real risk for the native animals that live (there)".

"Being a real risk for indigenous communities that still rely on this ecosystem for their bush tucker and being a real risk for the tourism industry as parts of Kakadu would become inaccessible for parts of the year due to higher water levels," she said.

The report says both the number of wet and dry days was likely to rise as the climate changed, and that run-off would increase.

It said higher water levels were likely to be "efficiently" transferred up the river, which would increase pressure on the tidal head and push the salt water towards the Yellow Water wetland.

The report said there was likely to be a fall in numbers of pig-nosed turtles, potadramous fish, freshwater crocodiles and magpie geese.

For estuarine habitats, potential impacts included falls in yellow chats, mud crabs and threadfin salmon and changes in the extent of mangroves.