Savanna burning: carbon pays for conservation in northern Australia. Fire and biodiversity have a complex relationship in northern Australia. Tim Flannery and others blame the current northern biodiversity crisis, at least in part, on changed fire regimes. Improving fire management is critical to conserving savanna landscapes – but who pays for it? A new funding model, tapping into the carbon economy, has emerged in the far north and is rapidly transforming fire management and biodiversity conservation. A new funding model for fire management The idea that land management could be funded by carbon credits emerged from Aboriginal-owned Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. By the 1990s it was clear that the region’s enormous biodiversity values were being eroded by frequent, intense late dry season fires. To address this problem, a trailblazing group of Western scientists and land managers, and Aboriginal Traditional Owners developed a program of prescribed burning early in the dry season to pre-empt large, intense wildfires late in the dry season.
'The worst fire season ever' ... until next year. Bushfires are part of the Australian landscape and the psyche of its human inhabitants. This is particularly true as months of hot, dry weather approach. Recent warnings have predicted a dire summer ahead with the potential for major fires across the continent. So will this year’s fire season be particularly bad? What are the different types of bushfire activity found across our continent? And how can these bushfire types help us predict how climate change will affect future fire seasons? More rain = more fire Last year, floods and high rainfall affected many regions of the continent, including large tracts of the dry interior. A wet year, following extended dry spells, has resulted in rapid growth of grasses and herbs.
Such conditions are the precursor to major fires, particularly as herbaceous ground cover begins to dry or “cure”. In other years we’ve heard warnings but for different reasons. These are our wettest environments and where plant growth or “productivity” is high. Bushfire Education | Bushfires. Bushfires NT - Dept of Land Resource Management. Our team is responsible for implementing the Bushfires Act and supporting landholders with fire mitigation. Our staff are located in Darwin, Batchelor, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. Review of the Bushfires Act Have your say on shaping the future of the Bushfires Act - Read more... Contact Us. NAFI.