BURDEKIN residents are being encouraged to take photos of the king tide that will occur this Saturday, January 12, and upload them to highlight areas and coastal infrastructure vulnerable to king tide flooding.
Burdekin Shire Council health and environment manager Tracy Jensen said the Witness King Tides community project was co-ordinated by Green Cross Australia and aimed to raise awareness about sea level rise.
"King tides give us an opportunity to see what our coasts might look like in the future under conditions of sea level rise due to climate change," Ms Jensen said.
"Taking photos of areas affected by king tides now is a great way of identifying vulnerable locations and involving the community in monitoring sea level change."
Ms Jensen said the witness project was designed to get communities to record high sea levels at their local beach, wetland, inlet or mudflat.
Green Cross Australia chief executive officer Mara Bun said the event built on a pilot project in Queensland last year; more than 1600 photos were shared to create a photographic mosaic of the coastline.
"Participants in this event can upload their photographs to the Witness King Tides web portal to share images and this will create a visual database to assist with future planning for climate adaptation," she said.
"The website provides details about the summer king tide events, outlines best spots along the coast to see the impact and gives advice for taking great photos to upload and share."
Visit www.witnesskingtides.org and www.burdekin.qld.gov.au for more information.
