The research program is built around the three Managing Climate Variability Program (MCV) goals: - To improve seasonal forecasting - accuracy, lead-time, and ease of use
- To provide tools and services for managing climate risk
- To increase adoption of climate risk management
This builds on more than a decade of research by the Climate Variability in Agriculture Program. | 
|
The current phase of MCV runs until June 2007. Planning for a new phase of MCV is underway - see Future Directions.
Research Projects
 | Agriculture- Improving dairy farmers' feedbase management with seasonal climate forecasts (project ref DAN20) - Summary
- Increasing the adoption and accuracy of AussieGRASS in the Northern Territory (project ref DFN1) - Summary
- Assessing and developing targeted climate forecasts for the sugar industry (project ref JCU20) - Summary
- Improving prediction of the northern Australian wet season (project ref QPI62) - Summary
|
 | Natural Resources- Climate science for better natural resource management in western New South Wales (project ref DAN19) - Summary
- Increasing success of tree establishment by using seasonal climate forecasts (project ref CSE20) - Summary
- Producing, verifying and distributing synthetic evaporation and evapotranspiration data (project ref QNR37) - Summary
- Integrating NRM implications into a production-based seasonal climate risk management system (project ref CSE40) - Summary
- Managing natural resource issues in a variable and changing climate (project ref CSE24) - Summary
|
 | The Grains Industry - 'Prophetable' cropping using seasonal forecasting tools (project ref BCG1) - Summary
- Oceans to Grains: a new approach to targeted seasonal forecasts (project ref CMR7) - Summary
- Horses for courses: using the best tools for managing climate risk (project ref MIG1) - Summary
- National WhopperCropper - delivering risk management to agricultural advisers (project ref QPI54) - Summary
|
 | Economic Applications- Enhanced forecasting of farm financial performance (project ref ABA12) - Summary
- Farmers applying seasonal climate forecasting for profitable, sustainable resource use (project ref USY11) - Summary
- Innovative weather and climate risk management using derivative trading (project ref QPI57) - Summary
- Enabling natural resource management decision makers to make better use of climate science (project ref SRD7) - Summary
|
 | Adapting to Climate Change- Incorporating climate change in catchment management strategies (project ref CLW71) - Summary
- Managing grazing systems in a variable non-stationary climate (project ref QNR31) - Summary
- Managing agricultural systems in a variable non-stationary climate (project ref QPI48) - Summary
- Agro-ecological implications of changes in the terrestrial water balance (project ref ANU49) - Summary
|
 | Communicating Climate Risk Management- Masters of climate revisited - innovative farmers coming through drought (project ref BLA2) - Summary
- Building effective climate risk management in the Western Australia grainbelt (project ref DAW49) - Summary
- Growing capacity in seasonal climate risk management in south-east Australia (project ref VPI8) - Summary
|
 | Grains Research & Development Corporation Linked Projects- Can we forecast wheat yields and grain protein in Western Australia? (project ref CSP00040) - Summary
- Better long-lead seasonal and crop forecasts for southern Australia (project ref DAW00087) - Summary
- Climate change, wheat yield and cropping risks is Western Australia (project ref DAW00088) - Summary
|
World Class Research
The Managing Climate Variability program maintains world class research through regular program reviews and evaluation. It commissions independent reviews of the program to ensure its climate science, its engagement with farmers and natural resource managers, and its delivery are world class.
Future Directions
Farmers and natural resource managers will remain the primary focus of MCV. In the next phase, the research agenda is expected to incorporate adaptation to climate change, by rural industry and resource managers. Emerging technologies will help natural resource managers explore the ecological impacts of climate variability and climate change on biodiversity and water resources across the landscape. |  |
And, as awareness of climate change grows, so too will the demand for information and technologies that anticipate its impacts. In the next few years, global climate models have the potential to greatly improve forecast accuracy and lead times and to replace forecasts based on El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
Getting this new technology into the hands of land managers and potential users across a range of industries is both a challenge and a priority for MCV.
