Black Summer 2019-20

• Black Summer 2019-20


  State of Victoria and burned more than 24 million hectares
• Since 1910, temperatures have risen by 1.4° and were 1.52° in 2019
• Climate change


  • Ongoing drought
  • Lack of soil moisture
  • Wind speed
  • Humidity
  • Heat wave
  • Fuel moisture
• Land cover


  Eucalyptus and grazing land
• Record low rainfall and high temperatures


  Produced low soil moisture, allowing fires to spread rapidly
• 33 died to fires
• 450 died to smoke inhalation
• 2000 homes destroyed
• Tourism impacted
• Habitats destroyed
• 49,000 km2 of land was burned
• Government was criticised
• Australia is one of the world's largest emitters of fossil fuels and greenhouse gases
• Only 3% is spent on mitigating disasters
• Government was criticised for being in denial as they claimed it would damage the economy
• 72% of Australians thought the Black Summer fires were a result of climate change
• In 2022, the government changed and committed to net zero by 2050
• Government commitments


  • $20 billion in renewable energy
  • $300 million for solar banks
  • Skills training for 10,000 new energy apprentices
  • Electric vehicles
  • $200 million on preparation and resilience
  • Indigenous rangers to address climate change crisis
  • Department of climate change for holistic management and adaption
• Natural disasters cost Australia $6.3 billion per year and is expected to rise to $23 billion by 2050
• Disasters become more frequent and intense
• ⅓ of people live on the East coast where disasters are most frequent
• The public have demanded stronger action by the government
• May shift to a world leader in green energy