Young people in Australia are experiencing firsthand the ‘profound and distressing’ impacts of extreme weather events and six in ten are worried about climate change, a new Mission Australia and Orygen report has found.
Analysis of data from the 2023 Mission Australia Youth Survey showed that in the past year, more than one in 10 young people in Australia (13 per cent) had been personally impacted by floods, bushfires, landslides, destructive storms or heavy rain, droughts and other extreme events.
The findings were based on the survey responses of 19,501 Australian young people aged 15–19 years.
Despite facing challenges from extreme weather events, young people were able to identify a variety of resources and supports that helped them cope with their aftermath, such as: better cooperation across the community; receiving assistance from family, friends and non-profit organisations; technology to stay connected; and their own personal coping strategies.
The report calls for a multi-faceted approach to policy reform, emphasising the importance of engaging young people in disaster recovery planning and implementation.
The report’s recommendations are to:
- engage young people in the development of future disaster recovery strategies, planning and implementation;
- ensure access to housing and financial supports;
- increase mental health support for impacted communities;
- enhance capacity building for trauma-informed responses in local mental health workforce;
- extend local workforce supporting young people; and
- enhance of disaster resilience and climate change education.