Rehydrate
& Cool
Cool Canberra
Our Reality And Problem
Canberra is already in the front line of climate change and impacts in Australia via.
- Its increased aridification and temperature extremes.
- The 20% decline in its rainfall over the past 20 years.
- The expected climate shifts by 2030 with Canberra adopting Cobar’s climate.
Our response imperative
To retain its habitable safe climate Canberra must urgently;
- Reinforce the resilience of its bio-systems to buffer these locked in extremes
- Cool Canberra to offset locked in greenhouse effects and limit dangerous feedbacks.
- Rehydrate landscapes to secure its essential and quality of life values.
Solutions
How can we Cool Canberra; naturally, safely, hydrologically?
Given Canberra’s imperative and, lessons from nature and history, urgent action is needed to;
- Rehydrate Canberra by retaining and conserving every raindrop that still falls.
- Conserve and efficiently use and recycle its reduced water resources.
- Directly cool the Canberra environment by restoring natural hydrological processes.
Major benefits can be realized by Canberra from such natural, safe rehydration and cooling via;
- The retention of additional rainfall in these restored soil sponges and in soil reservoirs.
- The increased longevity of green growth, transpiration and cooling latent heat fluxes.
- The more buffered, habitable and healthier urban landscape and environment.
- . The more efficient conservation, use and recycling of limited urban water resources.
- The more efficient and productive use and conservation of agricultural water resources.
Recommendations
That Canberra as Australia’s capital and a long time leading model for green urban design;
- Recognizes it is in the front line of climate extremes and acts urgently to Cool Canberra.
- Reasserts its 20th century role as a leader in creating safe, green urban habitat and values.
- Champions its vision as a 21st century leader in green urban design via Cool Canberra.
- Revitalizes local eco-innovation, green industry and value capture via Cool Canberra.
- Outlines its vision and agenda to Cool Canberra to the world in Paris in late 2015.
About us
Benefits
