Australia’s first National Climate Risk Assessment has warned that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will face some of the nation’s most severe impacts from climate change.
The 2025 report outlines 63 nationally significant risks, with seven specific to First Nations communities.
These include threats to self-determination, Country, cultural knowledge, food and water security, and overall health and wellbeing.
Remote and regional communities are highlighted as especially vulnerable.
Limited infrastructure, geographic isolation and existing disadvantage mean these areas face higher risks from extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, bushfires and heatwaves.
In the Torres Strait, rising seas are flagged as a direct threat to homes, livelihoods and cultural connections.
Beyond First Nations communities, the assessment points to escalating risks across Australia.
Northern regions, coastal towns and outer-urban areas are identified as hotspots where disasters are expected to intensify.
Sea level rise, stronger cyclones and compounding extreme weather are likely to put increasing pressure on housing, health systems, supply chains and emergency services.
The report also stresses the importance of drawing on Indigenous knowledge systems in adaptation efforts.
Cultural practices such as Caring for Country and cultural burning are highlighted as vital for managing risks and protecting land, water and biodiversity.
Its findings will feed into Australia’s upcoming National Adaptation Plan, which is set to guide how governments, industries and communities prepare for a changing climate.
