The situation in northern NSW and South East Queensland is heartbreaking. People have lost everything to the floods and are facing food and water shortages, power outages and loss of essential services like sewerage.

If you would like to support those directly affected, GIVIT allows you to donate a specific amount for a specific item needed. GIVIT then buys that product in or near the town affected by the disaster and distributes it directly to the people who need it > www.givit.org.au/appeals/givit-together/nsw-flood-appeal.

Other organisations taking donations for flood relief include:

• Foodbank > foodbank.raisely.com/helpnswfloodvictims
• Red Cross > www.redcross.org.au/floodsappeal
• Salvation Army > www.salvationarmy.org.au
• SES > www.ses.nsw.gov.au/get-involved/donations.

There’s a useful guide about providing the best direct help to people affected by disaster written by someone with personal experience > HERE.

These floods are yet another natural disaster showing us the devastating impacts of climate change. System-wide change is needed to address higher temperatures, more dangerous wildfires, more extreme droughts and floods, rising sea levels and drier winter and spring months. These compounding changes will put extreme pressure on the natural environment, cities, infrastructure, food production, insurance and tourism. See The Conversation article summary of the latest IPCC report, which details what this means > HERE.