Australia: A situation has already arrived when sources of water are drying up in Australia due to Climate change and large parts of the country are facing a crisis. The amount of water available in some places can suffice for a few months. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says climate change has resulted in drought conditions. It admits that air temperatures have gone up considerably over the last century. Consequently, there is an increase in damage due to droughts and fires.

Sky News says authorities have to arrange transportation of water to areas where there is a scarcity.

The local government has earmarked funds for the movement of the precious commodity and it is difficult to predict how much will be enough. Some people think that this is an indication of the havoc that unchecked climate change can unleash on humanity.

Australia continues to support fossil fuels

Scott Morrison, the prime minister of Australia feels efforts to increase protection for the Environment could be detrimental to the nation's economy. Incidentally, he did not go to New York to attend the recent summit on climate change.

It seems he told the UN General Assembly that, in his opinion, those who are critical of Australia are ignoring its contribution to cutting down on emissions.

Sky News says, in this context the observations of Sir David Attenborough are relevant. He is a British naturalist and television presenter and he has heaped criticism on the Australian government for extending support to fossil fuels through new coal mines.

These generate CO2 that are harmful to the environment and there have been debates on the subject at various forums. The 2015 Paris accord is one such that led to an impetus to promote alternatives to fossil fuels and embrace renewable energy.

Scarcity of water in Australia

According to the Japan Times, Australia is facing a scarcity of water, which is affecting lives in certain parts of New South Wales, along with southern Queensland.

These have been in the grip of drought since 2016 with water levels depleting in rivers and dams. In order to retrieve the situation, councils are trying to source water from underground reservoirs hoping that the water will be suitable for drinking.

Warragamba is Sydney’s biggest dam and its capacity has dropped to 50 percent. It was almost at full capacity until around three years ago. Another example is that of the town of Guyra in eastern Australia. It is located next to a freshwater lagoon and is a short distance from Sydney, but there are fears that the source of drinking water could run dry in 400 days’ time. These are matters of concern and the authorities try to find a way to face the challenges. Livelihoods in the country are now at risk from drought and climate change has probably made the situation worse.
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