Climate Change and Riversleigh World Heritage Area
The fossils at Riversleigh are some of the most significant findings in the world and the richest known mammal fossil deposit in Australia. There are even descendants of ancient Gondwanan groups that once occupied the united lands of Australia, South America and Antarctica, which hold a vast amount of information on the impacts of climate change.
Within this region and on the Country of the Waanyi people are the Boodjamulla National Park (Aboriginal Land) and the Riversleigh section of the Australian Fossil Mammal Sites World Heritage property. Riversleigh’s fossils date back to the Oligo-Miocene period, some 30-10 million years ago. The Riversleigh section (10,000 hectares) is in the 282,000-hectare Boodjamulla National Park (Aboriginal Land).
Decades of research
The University of New South Wales has researched the Riversleigh fossil records for more than four decades, studying ancestors of endangered animals, such as the Mountain Pygmy possum. Such research provides a globally unique resource, allowing scientists to anticipate the impacts on animal diversity if temperatures rise to the projected 2050 levels. The work also offers immediate assistance to endangered species by studying their historical ecosystems to understand their adaptability.
Extreme weather impacts
From December 2022, the Gulf region experienced significant rainfall from Ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie and a monsoon across northern Queensland. This saturated the Nicholson, Gregory, Leichhardt and Flinders rivers, flooding roads and isolating communities for about three months. In March 2023, a monsoon trough delivered further heavy rainfall, intensifying the flooding and extending the isolation of communities. In the 48 hours to 9 March 2023, 544mm of rain fell across the Nicolson, Gregory and Leichhardt River catchment. The Gregory River broke the 1971 flood records of 10.8m and reached 18m by 9 March.
In March 2023, another extreme weather event caused mass flooding across parts of northwest Queensland, significantly damaging nature and infrastructure. Many people in the region were evacuated. Roads were washed away, and some buildings had to be levelled and rebuilt due to water levels hitting near-ceiling heights in some cases. The rebuild and recovery costs are significant and ongoing.
The Riversleigh World Heritage Advisory Committee (RWHAC) raised concerns about fossils being washed away at the property within the publicly accessible, self-guided walking tour section of the Riversleigh World Heritage property. Other areas nearby, including the Bitesantennary Valley, which is not publicly accessible, were impacted, with riverbanks scoured by the large volume of water and debris. Given the remoteness of the Riversleigh World Heritage property, it is challenging to conduct thorough ground assessments to determine the nature and extent of any damage.
Climate Snapshot
The RWHAC delivered a Climate Snapshot assessment in December 2023: Climate Change and Riversleigh, Boodjamulla National Park, documenting the weather event, impact and climate change trends. The Climate Snapshot:
- considers the current climate changes affecting the Riversleigh World Heritage site
- provides a window into deep time, using fossil records to understand the changes to the environment and animal species over millions of years.
Partnerships between Riversleigh researchers and the broader scientific community are essential in the fight to save more endangered species throughout Australia and globally. Research outcomes can also inform further projects to improve understanding of current and potential threats to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the Riversleigh World Heritage property.
© Queensland Government
© Queensland Government
© Queensland Government
© Queensland Government