Inland Waters

Impacts of Climate Change on Inland Waters

The current degraded state of many inland waters makes them vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Current projections suggest that Victoria’s future climate will be warmer and drier. By 2030, streamflow may vary from no change or slight increases in East Gippsland to 25–40% decreases in western and north-western Victoria. Victoria has already experienced a decade of low streamflow which, in many rivers, particularly in the northern and central areas, has generally been greater than in the ‘high’ climate change scenario for 2030. The extent to which climate change has played a hand in these unprecedented reductions is unclear. By 2070, the flow in rivers and streams may be reduced by half across much of the State.

This level of change would seriously endanger environmental health. In northern Victoria, ecological impacts of severe climate change and current levels of extraction could include the disappearance of tens of thousands of hectares of River Red Gum forest, threaten bird and fish populations, and lead to the degradation and loss of internationally listed Ramsar Wetlands. Other factors which will have a cumulative effect on water availability are forests regenerating after bushfires, the legacy of historic groundwater extraction, farm dams and plantation forestry.

This section presents the implications of climate change for inland waters in terms of reduced water availability, flow regimes, biodiversity and water quality. An overview of management responses to the impact of climate change on inland waters in Victoria and recommendations to Government are also presented.

Part 4.3.6 - Impacts of Climate Change on Inland Waters (PDF - 3.9 MB)