The Australian Government's National Climate Risk Assessment is a dire warning for Australian communities - particularly those of us in the North. A warming climate is set to impact our health services, infrastructure, workforce, schooling, insurance and vulnerable community members. We also know that several endemic species are on the brink, and entire ecosystems are at risk of collapse. 

So, what can be done about it?

We all know that climate change is making Townsville's heatwaves worse - longer, hotter and more frequent than ever before. So, what can we do about it? How will our community adapt to ensure that no one is left behind in these silent natural disasters? We joined forces with Sweltering Cities, Once Upon Tomorrow and the Queensland Community Alliance to find out.

Over the past four months, NQCC sat with members of the community to talk about personal experiences with weather extremes in North Queensland. We learned a lot about the diversity of impacts, people's future worries, but also about our great potential to increase local resilience.

Photo supplied by Diana Condylas

Every summer, Queenslanders face increasingly extreme weather events such as floods, storms, cyclones and heatwaves, all exacerbated by climate change. These events not only jeopardise the safety and well-being of our communities but also put an unnecessary strain on our economy.