Bushfires and the Climate Emergency – what can local governments do?

A photo from the state government in Victoria shows a helicopter fighting a bushfire near Bairnsdale in East Gippsland. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-50971879

The recent catastrophic firestorms engulfing Australian forests, farmlands and communities have been heartbreaking and we at ICLEI extend our condolences to everyone who has lost loved ones or property or businesses. It is also heartbreaking to witness the widespread damage to habitat and wildlife. 

This disaster brings home once again the reality that we are facing a Climate Emergency. The fires are bigger, lasting longer and are more devastating than we have ever before experienced. Most commentators are linking the severity of these fires with changing climate conditions – extended droughts, more frequent and extreme heatwaves, unprecedented drying of grasslands and forests.  

Wildlife and habitat are already under great stress due to these conditions and are therefore more vulnerable when fire strikes. Communities likewise have already been under huge social and economic stress from the drought and their resilience to fires has greatly reduced. Climate change exacerbates disasters, the majority of disasters are climate-related.

State Governments are now issuing “catastrophic” fire warnings – the first time this language has been used. More than 1,200 local, state and national jurisdictions in 25 countries have now declared a climate emergency. 11,000 scientists worldwide have also declared a climate emergency, warning of “catastrophic threat” to humanity. 

So what can and should governments do? Yes we should all be planning ways for transitioning rapidly from fossil fuels to renewables in order to play our part in reducing emissions. This will yield significant local benefits in terms of economic payback, more resilient power supply and a cleaner environment, but it is also important that all levels of government demonstrate that they are willing to play their part in limiting global warming.  It is especially important that the national government show leadership through its climate commitments.

Equally important is for governments to assess the trajectory of future climate impacts and risks and prepare short and long-term plans to reduce risk and to adapt to climate change. This means we should not just focus on better fire-fighting capacity but on using all the levers available to government – planning, regulation, infrastructure and service provision, social support – to reduce the potential damage and loss from climate change, both slow onset and catastrophic.

Mayor of Bega Valley Shire Council, Cr. Kristy McBain speaks about fire dangers at a meeting at the Bermagui Country Club - 1 Jan 2020. Photo sourced from 7NEWS Australia. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU_rdjtgKK8

Local Governments are playing a critical role in responding to the fires and supporting their communities to recover from fires. It is very often the Mayor who is interviewed by the media to speak on behalf of the community about the real impact of the fires. But councils can also leverage their unique role as the level of government closest to the community to prepare robust climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction plans. Strategies for adapting to disasters and climate change must be tailored to local conditions – only councils working with local residents and businesses can achieve this.  

You can directly support communities affected by bushfires by donating to various appeals, such as the Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery or the Bendigo Bank and Salvation Army’s Bushfire Disaster Appeal. Read about other ways to help here.

ICLEI is ready to support any Australian local government in this important work. Please visit the links below for further information.

ICLEI Oceania: https://www.icleioceania.org/

Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy: https://www.gcom-oceania.org/

Twitter: @iclei_oceania