About the Drought
Our farmers are facing the worst drought and the most dangerous bushfires in living memory. Some towns have been burnt to the ground already and others could run out of water by Christmas. 99% of NSW and 66% of QLD is officially in drought* and 53% of NSW and 87% of QLD is already in high fire danger**. The drought conditions have been affecting parts of the Murray-Darling Basin since the beginning of 2017, and the last 33 months have been the driest on record. Water storages aren’t being replenished with many catchments at less than 20% capacity. 2019 alone is the second-warmest financial year on record which is creating additional water stress for many areas.
*Department of Primary Industries report, 1 November 2019
**Bureau of Meteorology, 1 November 2019
About the Bushfires
The bushfire season Australia is experiencing right now is unprecedented. The fires have started from much earlier in the season and are due to run later. Due to the compounding effects of climate change, the climate is hotter and drier***, making the bush far more susceptible to bushfires than it has ever been before. It has so far burned 16,000,000 acres*, taken the lives of 25 people, destroyed over 2,500 buildings and claimed the lives of 480 million** native species of wildlife.
*How big are the fires burning in Australia?
**480 Million Animals Dead
***What are the links between climate change and bushfires?