Green Cross Australia has launched its Harden Up disaster resilience online portal, a tool that can help Australians respond to the challenges posed by climate change and natural emergencies.
Australian Attorney-General Robert McClelland officially launched the Harden Up portal and campaign at the Green Cross Australia offices on Brisbane, Australia.
Green Cross Australia says: “Together we are building a world-first disaster resilience portal through which Australia’s severe weather history and latest climate data and projections will be visualised by Queenslanders to encourage them to take practical steps to become more self-reliant through major weather events, embracing sustainability and community engagement along the way.”Climate change and population growth combine to present new challenges for Australia’s severe weather resilience, testing the effectiveness of traditional emergency response systems.
Social media offers the potential for community interaction with accessible scientific trends and practical resilience advice.
Harden Up is funded by a grant from the Natural Disaster Resilience Program through the Queensland Department of Community Safety. Green Cross partners include : the Insurance Council of Australia, CSIRO, Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland Climate Change Centre of Excellence, Network 10, Federal Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficency, Property Council of Australia, Local Government Association of Queensland, Suncorp, Emergency Management Queensland, James Cook University and Volunteering Queensland.
Listen to Radio National interview with Green Cross Australia President Mara Bun