Far reaching impact of El Niño heat explored at Alice Springs summit

Central Australia is preparing for a potentially scorching El Niño summer, prompting researchers, experts, and health practitioners to convene in Alice Springs for the inaugural Central Australian Heat Resilience Summit. The gathering aimed to forge a strategy for managing the escalating challenges of extreme heat in the arid region.

Extreme heat poses a significant threat, with ripple effects touching every facet of life in Central Australia. This includes impacts on public health, the availability and adequacy of housing, the growing issue of homelessness, the delicate local environment, and even crime rates, with those living in poverty disproportionately affected.

Jon Swain, a researcher specializing in the intersection of homelessness and extreme heat, was among the presenters. He emphasized that Australia's efforts in addressing heat and homelessness are in their early stages. Swain stressed the crucial role of local government in fostering partnerships and highlighted the urgent need for climate-adaptive housing, stating, "In the absence of housing, we've sort of dropped the ball on that across the country and I think we're going to be doing triage work until we start building climate adaptive housing."

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Homelessness has always been a public health emergency. It is a community response, I know that's really cliched. But in the absence of housing, we've sort of dropped the ball on that across the country and I think we're going to be doing triage work until we start building climate adaptive housing.

The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts above-average temperatures for most of Australia in the coming months. For Alice Springs, which endured 63 days of temperatures at or above 40 degrees Celsius last year, early indications suggest a continuation of unusually high temperatures into early summer, with a particular likelihood of higher minimum temperatures compared to spring.

Alice Springs Mayor Asta Hill described the summit as a critical first step, established to meet a "glaring need" for locally-driven solutions. The summit brought together approximately 65 stakeholders to foster a multi-agency approach to heatwave management and long-term climate adaptation.

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We're staring down the barrel of a supercharged El Niño for this summer