The iconic Australian tourist destinations most likely to be wiped out by climate change
Some of Australia's most breathtaking and pristine tourist attractions are at risk of being irrevocably damaged by climate change.
The new Zurich-Mandala Climate Risk Index has laid bare which ones are in greatest danger, as Australia faces the prospect of not just losing crucial parts of our natural environment, but missing out on the hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in spending that tourism generates.
"Tourism employs 10 times as many Australians as the coal industry," Mandala managing partner Amit Singh said.
"More than 60 per cent of the domestic tourism spend is in regional communities.
"Australians are right to worry about the impact of the climate transition on coal mining communities, but we need to consider the other side of the climate transition: the impact of physical risks.
"We are already seeing the impact of climate change on tourism. We've seen tourist attractions destroyed by bushfires, tourist sites made inaccessible by floods, man-made attractions damaged by hail, airports closed because of extreme winds.
"Climate change is not only a risk to Australia's natural wonders, it is a risk to the 500,000 jobs created by tourism and the $170 billion of tourism spending each year."
With that grim warning in mind, here are the spots in greatest danger from the worsening climate, according to the report.
10. Whitehaven Beach, Queensland
Visiting Whitehaven Beach is a part of many trips to the Whitsundays, but the beautiful strip of sand is one of the sites most vulnerable to climate change, according to the report.
Extreme heat and bushfires are listed as the greatest dangers to the 7km beach.
9. Purnululu National Park, Western Australia
Next up is Western Australia's Purnululu National Park, home to the world heritage-listed Bungle Bungles.
Worsening floods pose the biggest risk to the park, according to the index, with storms and high winds also a danger.
5. Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory
Australia's largest national park has an incredible variety of ecosystems, but it's already facing the impacts of severe heatwaves.
"In recent years, Kakadu has closed for extended periods due to extreme heat," the report says.
"Popular sites have also been inaccessible or closed for extended periods due to floods, which has reportedly impacted visitor numbers significantly.
"In 2019, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the body responsible for monitoring World Heritage sites, highlighted that Kakadu was under 'very high threat' from feral animals and weeds, and 'high threat' from fires.
"In 2023, Kakadu experienced its second-highest maximum temperature since the year 2000 and below-average rainfall."
4. Daintree Rainforest, Queensland
The beautiful Daintree Rainforest in Far North Queensland has survived for 135 million years, making it the oldest rainforest on the planet, but nowhere in the Sunshine State is under greater threat from climate change due to winds, floods and storms.
"In 2019, the Daintree River experienced its worst flood in 118 years, with locals unreachable by road or phone for significant periods," the Climate Index states.
"This century-long record was beaten just four years later during Cyclone Jasper, resulting in widespread flooding.
"This reportedly cost the region $280 million in lost tourism income in just two months.
"The deluge also caused a 56-metre landslide which cut off the rainforest village from the rest of the state, impacting access to supplies and emergency services."
3. Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory
Located not far from Kakadu, it's little surprise Litchfield National Park is also facing significant climate-related risks.
According to the report, bushfires and extreme heat are posing the greatest danger to the park that is home to waterfalls and swimming holes, weathered sandstone formations, and magnetic termite mounds.
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