Planning for drought resilience

The Australian Government's Future Drought Fund (FDF) works with states and territories to support regions to develop drought resilience plans which enables stakeholders to identify vulnerabilities and develop strategies to reduce risks and potential regional impacts: building resilience across four key areas such as people, culture and community. The joint initiative is the Regional Drought Resilience Planning (RDRP).

Working in partnership with Far North Regional Organisation of Councils (FNQROC), Terrain and Gulf Savannah Natural Resources Management, Professors Hurriyet Babacan and Allan Dale have been conducting extensive consultations in the Wet Tropics and Gulf Hinterland regions about the impacts of drought and strategies for resilience.

The Regional Forum Wet Tropics & Gulf Hinterland took place November 23 last year and was hosted by the Development in the Tropics team, led by Professor Hurriyet Babacan. Over 25 stakeholders attended the forums and explored questions around the following:

• The economic, social and environmental impact of a major heatwave
• The economic, social and environmental impact precipitation deficit 
• The impact of before or after incidents of cyclones, floods combined with heatwave/low precipitation

RDRP plans are being finalised and will be presented to FNQROC and the Australian Government by June 2024.

Image: The forum participants at The Cairns Institute. Credit: J. McHugh