CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGY 2014-2018 BUILDING COMMUNITY ADAPTIVE CAPACITY AND RESILIENCE

The message from the scientific community is clear that climate change poses one of the most significant threats to humanity and the planet’s natural systems over the years and decades ahead. The unique cultures and environments of the Torres Strait that have weathered change over many millennia, now face a very uncertain future. Our island communities, ecosystems, infrastructure, livelihoods, wellbeing, culture and identity are all threatened by the many impacts of climate change. Our low-lying island communities are already experiencing the direct impacts of sea level rise. Every year during Spring tides these islands suffer inundation from the seas that surround them, a tidal event that is increasingly exacerbated as sea levels march steadily upwards. The resultant flooding and erosion, particularly around ancestral burial sites, is a source of significant community distress. Despite these challenges we are pleased to reflect on the progress that has been made in implementing the actions identified in the first (2010–2013) edition of the Strategy. Significant progress has been made in securin