What is ADAPT Loddon Mallee?
ADAPT Loddon Mallee is about climate adaptation in our region and a plan to get climate ready. ADAPT brings together people from all walks of life to learn, share knowledge, and build networks to support communities to adapt to our changing climate.
Climate change impacts are already being felt in communities across the region. The pressure is being felt in sectors like local water, food production, and health and wellbeing.
While it is important that we all take steps to reduce our emissions to mitigate against further future climate impacts, such as embracing renewable energy, we also need to reduce our current and future vulnerability by taking adaptation action. Adapting to climate change involves taking practical actions to manage current impacts and future risks to build resilient communities and systems across the region.
Successful adaptation is a shared responsibility. Individuals, communities, businesses and governments at all levels have a part to play. The challenge is too big to anyone to act alone – to ensure thriving communities in the future we need to work together.
About our Region
The Loddon Mallee is Victoria’s largest region, stretching north-west from the outskirts of Melbourne to the Murray River and South Australian border. The region includes: Echuca, Swan Hill, Mildura, Bendigo, Kyneton and Maryborough. The large geographic area is varied and features regional cities, small townships and large areas of farmland. The Loddon Mallee is also home to Victoria’s largest population of First Nations’ people. For more information about our region visit the regional profile.
A plan to get climate ready
ADAPT Loddon Mallee was funded by the Victorian Government’s former Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), now the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action (DEECA). To complement the Victoria’s Climate Change Strategy each DELWP region has been tasked with developing a Regional Adaptation Strategy. The regional strategies (or plans) take a place-based approach and identify impacts and actions not captured by state-wide plans.
The ADAPT Climate Ready Plan is intended to be both a practical plan of action for the region and a document to support strategic investment.
With the input of the community, ADAPT program participants and key stakeholders our climate-ready plan identified:
- The key values and assets of the region;
- What is most at risk in our communities; and,
- The key goals, objectives and actions required to address those risks.
The plan supports individuals, communities, organisations and businesses to get ‘climate ready’ and enable a healthy and prosperous future for the region. It was developed through a ‘learn by doing’ adaptation planning process, which provided regional stakeholders with a framework to identify, prioritise and deliver required adaptation action within their local areas.
We acknowledge and respect Victorian Traditional Owners as the original custodians of Victoria’s land and waters, their unique ability to care for Country and deep spiritual connection to it. We honour Elders past and present whose knowledge and wisdom has ensured the continuation of culture and traditional practices. We are committed to enabling self-determination for all Aboriginal people and aim to work closely with the Aboriginal community to drive action and improve outcomes especially in the context of a changing climate.