Shark Bay Climate Vulnerability Index

An innovative new assessment process shows the iconic Shark Bay World Heritage property in Western Australia is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Associate Professor Scott Heron and Jon Day from James Cook University developed the Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) process to identify the environmental and socioeconomic vulnerability of World Heritage properties.

The CVI assessment indicated that the 23,000-square-kilometre Shark Bay property, on the westernmost point of the Australian continent, is at great risk.