Parklands and Climate Change

The sustainable environmental management of urban parklands is influenced by the local climate of each park. For example, a tree species selected for bush regeneration in a park must be suited to the local climate, including the seasonal temperatures and rainfall in the location.  

[Image: Trees in Western Sydney Parklands]

Global average temperatures are rising due to climate change and this is affecting the management of parklands. The increase in extreme weather events such as storms, floods, bushfires, and droughts is impacting the natural and built features of parks. For example, the water in most of the Centennial Park ponds is stormwater and periods of drought affect the amount of water in the ponds. The 2017-2020 drought in Sydney led to ponds in Centennial Park drying up. 

[Image: Busby's Pond, Centennial Park, 2020 - the effects of drought]

The impacts of climate change in the Sydney area are projected to be as follows:

• Sea level rise of between 12 and 29cm by 2050
• Temperature rise of between 1.2°C and 3.4°C by 2050
• Increased flooding of rivers
• Increased number of severe fire days and bushfires

One of the effects of climate change is longer and more frequent heatwaves. A heatwave is when temperatures stay unusually high for 3 or more days and heatwaves are dangerous for vulnerable people such as babies, elderly people, and people with health problems. Heatwaves are also dangerous for heat-sensitive plants and wildlife.

For locations with similar climates, cities are generally warmer when compared to country areas due to the ‘urban heat island effect’. In cities, heat is absorbed by buildings, roads and other hard surfaces, and heat is also generated by human activity, such as using cars and air conditioning. This can lead to an increase of 1-3 degrees Celsius in the local air temperature.

Heatwaves can have a big impact in urban areas where there are a lot of people living in a small area, and where the temperatures are higher due to the urban heat island effect. Urban parklands have been shown to reduce the heating of cities and are an important part of human adaptation to climate change.

Green spaces with large trees have a cooling effect on the air because trees provide shade and plants release moisture into the air. Open bodies of water, such as lakes and ponds, also have a cooling effect as hot air is cooled when it passes over water.