Law and Management

Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities

National Conference on the Socio-Economic Implications of Climate Change on Regional Communities

2007 - date to be confirmed
Bendigo - Australia

People in rural and regional Australia, experiencing the impacts of extreme climatic conditions, are increasingly concerned that ‘climate change’ is upon us.  The CSIRO is modelling the anticipated impacts of climate change for every region in Australia, yet the paucity in information on the socio-economic implications for rural and regional Australia is staggering.  Lets move on from the debate about whether the weather is changing – and start to focus on the challenges and opportunities associated with ‘revolutionary change’ as we move toward environmentally friendly technologies and new directions for regional development.

Given the limited nature of research into the socio-economic implications of climate change, this conference aims to bring together key people and organisations who are making a significant contribution to this endeavour.  However, there are many issues ranging from the impact on agriculture and the national economy, to the institutional structures which aid or hinder the transition to alternative technologies, to the practical experiences of local governments, businesses and households in dealing with the changing conditions.

The conference will be structured around several key speakers who will address different aspects of climate change and its implications. There will be presentations by practitioners and academics, and workshops designed to establish existing information and programs and begin to outline /prioritise the information gaps.

This conference is an opportunity for rural and regional communities to gain a voice in the complex arena of ‘climate change’.

Two key themes for the conference are:

• the impact of changing environmental conditions on people, businesses, and communities
• the impact of introducing new technologies on people, businesses and communities

The specific aim of the conference and subsequent publications is to provide direction for the development of socio-economic strategies to cope with the rural and regional impacts of climate change.  Presenters are encouraged to focus on a) understanding the risk, b) how this will impact on people, businesses, industry sectors etc, and c) strategies that might be adopted to assist with reducing the risk and minimising socio-economic vulnerability.