A sheep paddock in the Australian countryside
A sheep paddock in the Australian countryside - 2023 was a "year of opposites" for Australia's environment, but despite conditions fluctuating between wet and dry, overall conditions remain stable following a bumper year in 2022, according to the latest Australia's Environment Report , led by The Australian National University (ANU). In 2023, Australia's environment scored a 7.5 out of 10, a slight drop from 2022 when the country's environment was given an 8.7 out of 10 - the highest ever score since 2011. The score combines data on the climate, water availability and vegetation growth. However, despite favourable environmental conditions, the list of threatened species increased sharply and populations of already listed species continued to decline, warns report lead author, ANU Professor Albert Van Dijk. "For Australia, 2023 was a climate rollercoaster. Globally, 2023 was the hottest year on record," he said. "The year started wet and relatively cool, but May 2023 brought a change to dry and unseasonably warm weather with an El Niño system developing.
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