A project which aims to improve preparedness for the escalating threat of heatwaves in regional NSW, has been awarded more than $1.3m funding through the Disaster Ready Fund – an Australian Government initiative that supports projects which address the physical and social impacts of disasters on communities.
Delivered over three years, the University of Newcastle-led project will rank NSW Local Government Areas (LGAs) according to their current and future heatwave risk. Researchers will work with local government in high-risk areas to understand heatwave impacts in their region and current levels of preparedness.
The findings will inform the co-design of resilience strategies in workshops with representatives from high-risk LGAs to develop tailored heatwave preparedness plans. A digital Heatwave Hub will be developed for ongoing collaboration and education around heatwaves.
Led by University of Newcastle’s Dr Danielle Verdon-Kidd, preliminary studies by the research team reveal communities located in regional NSW and western greater Sydney are most at-risk to heatwaves, however a number of eastern seaboard LGAs, including Lake Macquarie and the Central Coast have also experienced an increase in heatwave risk over the last two decades combined with an ageing population.
Extreme heatwaves are a risk for anyone who does not take precautions to keep cool and hydrated. However, research has shown that one of the most vulnerable populations of the community are elderly residents who live at home.
The cross-disciplinary research team for this project includes (pictured L-R below) , , and
