BGANZ and climate change
In January 2009 BGANZ Council formally adopted the National Strategy and Action Plan for the Role of Australia’s Botanic Gardens in Adapting to Climate Change (http://www.anbg.gov.au/chabg/climate-change/index.html) developed by the Council of Heads of Australia’s Botanic Gardens. The Strategy was endorsed by all of Australia’s State and Commonwealth Environment Ministers (the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council) in November 2008 as a nationally significant initiative.
The Strategy sets out the goals, strategies and specific actions necessary to promote and resource Australia’s botanic gardens in their vital role as facilitators of climate change preparedness and adaptation.
The four main goals are:
- Coordinate a national safety net for Australia’s plant species through ex situ conservation
- Deliver integrated and easily accessible information about Australian plant species
- Establish a long-term monitoring program of plant responses to environmental change
- Increase national community awareness of climate change and facilitate effective response
It also provides a reporting framework and access to a communication channel between Australia’s Botanic Gardens (CHABG) and State and Federal environment departments.
All of these goals are relevant to BGANZ members, and member gardens are working within their communities with existing resources to contribute to their implementation and remain passionately committed to doing this.
In particular gardens around Australia are already contributing through their ex-situ collections as well as through education and community engagement about the value of biodiversity and the need for action to address climate change.
There is considerable potential for BGANZ to increase this activity if supported by capacity and resources at regional and local levels and sourcing revenue to support these activities by members is one of BGANZ Council’s priorities.