(CNN) Australia was already grappling with extreme heat and one of the worst droughts on record when devastating bushfires tore through the bone dry land.

For months, the infernos have raged through Australia's southeast, leaving parts of the country choking under some of the worst air pollution in the world.

Since September, more than 18 million hectares(44 million acres) of bush, land and forest have been burned. At least 28 people have died , around 3,000 homes have been destroyed and about one billion animals could have been affected.

Scientists had warned for more than a decade that an extreme bushfire season was coming -- and that the climate crisis was to blame.

While natural climate drivers created a perfect storm of hot and dry conditions this year, the sheer scale and intensity of the recent fires have led some experts to claim the world has now reached a turning point.

"I think the size and the intensity of these fires, coupled with the drought, have really just pushed Australia into a place that doesn't feel like home anymore." said Linden Ashcroft, lecturer in climate science and science communication at Melbourne University's School of Earth Science. "It doesn't feel safe anymore."

A dry bush waiting for a spark

Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Animal rescuer Marcus Fillinger carries a burned kangaroo on February 4 in Peak View, Australia. Fillinger tranquilized the wounded animal for transport to a recovery center. Hide Caption 1 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A bushfire burns near the town of Bumbalong, south of Canberra on February 2. Hide Caption 2 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Horses panic as a fire burns near Canberra, Australia, on Saturday, February 1. Hide Caption 3 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A firefighter coats a bridge with foam as a bushfire burns near Moruya, Australia, on Saturday, January 25. Hide Caption 4 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia In this long-exposure photo, a car's taillights streak at left as a wildfire glows at dusk near Clear Range, Australia, on Friday, January 31. Hide Caption 5 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia An airplane dumps fire retardant behind houses at the foot of Mount Tennent as fire creeps through the Namadgi National Park in Canberra on Thursday, January 30. Hide Caption 6 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia People embrace near the scene of a water tanker plane crash in Cooma, Australia, on Thursday, January 23. Three American crew members died in the crash. Hide Caption 7 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Flying embers are seen in this long-exposure photo from Moruya on Thursday, January 23. Hide Caption 8 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A young koala named Jeremy receives medical attention for burns at the Healesville Sanctuary in Badger Creek, Australia, on January 23. Hide Caption 9 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Firefighters battle the Morton Fire as it burns a home near Bundanoon, Australia, on January 23. Hide Caption 10 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia The Parliament House in Canberra is blanketed by bushfire smoke on January 23. Hide Caption 11 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A firefighter battles the Morton Fire as it consumes a home near Bundanoon on January 23. Hide Caption 12 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Veterinarian Ludo Valenza holds two grey-headed flying foxes, which were being treated for bushfire injuries at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital in Beerwah, Australia, on Wednesday, January 15. Hide Caption 13 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Lt. Kynan Lang from the 10th/27th Battalion visits the scene where his uncle and cousin died in a bushfire on Australia's Kangaroo Island. Hide Caption 14 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A smoky haze from bushfires hovers over the Melbourne skyline ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament on Tuesday, January 14. Poor air quality disrupted the qualifying rounds of the tournament. Hide Caption 15 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Properties damaged and destroyed by fire are seen in Nerrigundah, Australia, on Monday, January 13. Hide Caption 16 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Debris remains where houses stood in the Australian village of Wingello on January 13. Hide Caption 17 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Bonnie Morris and sister Raemi Morris look on as their family and firefighters battle bushfires at the edge of their family farm in Karatta on Saturday, January 11. Hide Caption 18 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Pictures of firefighters are projected onto the Sydney Opera House on January 11. Hide Caption 19 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A vehicle makes its way through thick fog mixed with bushfire smoke in the Ruined Castle area of the Blue Mountains on January 11. Hide Caption 20 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Protesters march through downtown Melbourne on Friday, January 10, in response to the ongoing bushfire crisis. Hide Caption 21 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia An aerial view shows a track running through trees that were scorched by bushfires in East Gippsland, Australia, on Thursday, January 9. Hide Caption 22 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A pile of wood chips burns at a timber mill in Eden, Australia, on January 9. Hide Caption 23 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Lisa Poulsen tends to her Clydesdale horse, Jake, on January 9. Jake suffered burn injuries in a bushfire on December 31. Hide Caption 24 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A small wave of black water full of burned debris breaks at a beach at Eden on January 9. Hide Caption 25 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A dead kangaroo lies on a burnt farm in Batlow. Hide Caption 26 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A firefighter backs away from flames after lighting a controlled burn near Tomerong on January 8. Hide Caption 27 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Stephenie Bailey is embraced on Wednesday, January 8, as she describes the impact the bushfires have had on her farm in Batlow. Hide Caption 28 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Charlotte O'Dwyer, the young daughter of Rural Fire Service volunteer Andrew O'Dwyer, wears her father's helmet during his funeral after being presented with a service medal in his honor by RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons on Tuesday, January 7, in Sydney. Hide Caption 29 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A resident throws a bucket of water onto a smoldering tree on his property on Monday, January 6, in Wingello, Australia. Hide Caption 30 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A military helicopter flies above a burning woodchip mill in Eden, New South Wales, on January 6. Hide Caption 31 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A Royal Australian Navy MH-60R Seahawk "Romeo" helicopter refuels onboard HMAS Adelaide during Operation Bushfire Assist, on Sunday, January 5, in this image provided by the Australian Department of Defence. HMAS Adelaide and army reserve forces have been assisting with bushfire evacuations on the southern coast of New South Wales. Hide Caption 32 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Families are evacuated by air from Mallacoota on January 5. Hide Caption 33 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A man walks past ash from bushfires washed up on a beach in Merimbula on January 5. Hide Caption 34 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia The flight deck of a C-130J Hercules is lit by the red glow of the fires below as the aircrew attempts to land in Merimbula to drop off fire and rescue crews to assist fighting the bushfires on January 5. Hide Caption 35 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia This satellite image provided by NASA on Saturday, January 4, shows smoke from fires burning in Victoria and New South Wales. Hide Caption 36 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A father holds his daughter as the skies above turn red during the day on January 4 in Mallacoota, Australia. Many parents with young children were stuck in Mallacoota after flights were grounded because of smoke and only school-aged children and older were allowed to evacuate by boat. Hide Caption 37 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A Royal Australian Navy crew unload luggage as evacuees from Mallacoota arrive aboard the MV Sycamore on January 4 at the port of Hastings, Australia. Hide Caption 38 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Smoke from wildfires shrouds a road near Moruya, Australia, on January 4. Hide Caption 39 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Nancy Allen stands outside her house as high winds push smoke and ash from the Currowan Fire toward Nowra in New South Wales on January 4. Hide Caption 40 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Evacuees board the Royal Australian Navy's MV Sycamore on January 3 in Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia. Navy ships plucked hundreds of people from beaches and tens of thousands were urged to flee before hot weather and strong winds in the forecast worsen Australia's already devastating wildfires. Hide Caption 41 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Massive smoke rises from wildfires burning in East Gippsland, Victoria on January 2. Hide Caption 42 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Royal Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons presents a posthumous Commendation for Bravery and Service on January 2 to the son of RFS volunteer Geoffrey Keaton, who was killed battling bushfires , at Keaton's funeral in Buxton, New South Wales. Hide Caption 43 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage on January 2 behind Lake Conjola. Hide Caption 44 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Cars line up as people evacuate the town of Batemans Bay in New South Wales on January 2. Hide Caption 45 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A satellite image released by Copernicus Sentinel dated December 31 shows bushfires burning across Australia. Hide Caption 46 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A kangaroo rushes past a burning house in Lake Conjola, Australia, on December 31. Hide Caption 47 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A man tries to defend a property in Lake Conjola on December 31. Hide Caption 48 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Firefighters hose down trees as they battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales on December 31, 2019. Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were forced to flee to beaches in fire-ravaged southeast Australia on December 31, as blazes ripped through popular tourist areas leaving no escape by land. Hide Caption 49 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A destroyed home in Sarsfield, East Gippsland, Victoria, on December 31. Hide Caption 50 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Children evacuated from areas affected by bushfires play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega on December 31. Hide Caption 51 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A skycrane drops water on a bushfire burning near houses in Bundoora, Melbourne, on Monday, December 30. Hide Caption 52 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) captured this satellite image of the historic bushfires burning across Australia on December 26. Hide Caption 53 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is briefed by fire officials at New South Wales Rural Fire Service control room in Sydney on December 22. Morrison arrived back in Sydney amid criticism after taking a family holiday to Hawaii during the bushfire emergency. Hide Caption 54 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Tributes for volunteer firemen Andrew O'Dwyer and Geoffrey Keaton are seen at Horsley Park Rural Fire Brigade in Sydney, Australia, on December 22. It's believed they were killed when their vehicle hit a tree before rolling off the road, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service said in a statement Hide Caption 55 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A firefighter battles the Gospers Mountain Fire in Bilpin, New South Wales, on Saturday, December 21. Hide Caption 56 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A charred bicycle lies on the ground in front of a house destroyed by bushfires on the outskirts of Bargo on December 21. Hide Caption 57 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Fire and rescue personnel monitor a bushfire as it burns near homes on the outskirts of Bilpin on Thursday, December 19. Hide Caption 58 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A property burns in Balmoral on December 19. Hide Caption 59 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A helicopter drops fire-retardant to protect a property in Balmoral. Hide Caption 60 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Police disperse demonstrators during a climate protest near Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's official residence in Sydney, on December 19, during his absence on an overseas holiday, as bushfires burned across the region. Hide Caption 61 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Children swing into the Penrith river during a heatwave in Sydney on December 19. Hide Caption 62 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A landscape of burnt trees is pictured after a bushfire at Mount Weison, in the Blue Mountains, on Wednesday, December 18. Hide Caption 63 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A wallaby flees a fire burning near Mangrove Mountain, north of Sydney, on December 10. Hide Caption 64 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A smoke haze blankets Bondi Beach as the air quality index reaches higher than ten times hazardous levels in some suburbs of Sydney on December 10. Hide Caption 65 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia People join a guided climb of the Sydney Harbour Bridge as bushfire haze darkens the sky on December 6. Hide Caption 66 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia People are seen wearing face masks to protect against the poor air quality in Sydney on December 5. Hide Caption 67 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A bushfire burns out of control in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales on December 2, Hide Caption 68 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia An aerial view shows bushfires burning in the Richmond Valley on November 26. Hide Caption 69 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A CFA crew member rests after a day of maintaining controlled back burns in St Albans, Australia, on November 21. Hide Caption 70 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia An injured koala receives treatment after its rescue from a bushfire at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital on November 19. The hospital said the fires have "decimated" the area, which is a key habitat and breeding ground for the marsupials. More than 350 koalas are feared to have been killed by bushfires in NSW, according to animal experts. Hide Caption 71 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Firefighters try to protect the Colo Heights Public School on November 19. Hide Caption 72 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Bushfire smoke clouds the sky over the Hawkesbury River in Brooklyn, Australia. Hide Caption 73 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Firefighters work on controlled back burns on November 14. Hide Caption 74 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia This satellite image shows wildfire smoke on November 14. Hide Caption 75 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A man uses a wet towel to help put out flames near the town of Taree on November 14. Hide Caption 76 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Firefighters organize their crews prior to working on controlled back burns in Sydney on November 14. Hide Caption 77 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Warren Smith pats his dog after returning to find his house destroyed near Nana Glen on November 13. Hide Caption 78 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Teresa de Ruyter, left, and Michelle Wilson embrace after returning to their homes near Nana Glen on November 13. Hide Caption 79 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Firefighters battle a spot fire in Hillville on November 13. Hide Caption 80 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Residents look on as thick smoke rises from bushfires near Nana Glen on November 12. Hide Caption 81 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison looks at a screen as he gets a briefing on the bushfire situation on November 12. Hide Caption 82 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Locals watch the fires impact farmland near Nana Glen on November 12. Hide Caption 83 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A firefighter mops up after a bushfire in the Sydney suburb of Llandilo on November 12. Hide Caption 84 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A fire and rescue team inspects damage around the village of Torrington on November 11. Hide Caption 85 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Andrew Mackenzie surveys the damage to the area around his home in Torrington. His home was spared, but his neighbors' house was burned to the ground. Hide Caption 86 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Smoke from the Gulf Road Fire fills the air in Glen Innes on November 11. Hide Caption 87 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A sign on a Taree fire station warns of "catastrophic" fire conditions. Hide Caption 88 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A lone joey is pictured on a scorched patch of ground in Torrington on November 11. Hide Caption 89 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Emergency crews tend to animals on a property in Torrington on November 11. Hide Caption 90 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Burnt trees dot the landscape in Old Bar on November 10. Hide Caption 91 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A firefighter works to contain a bushfire near Taree on November 10. Hide Caption 92 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A helicopter drops water on a bushfire in Old Bar on November 9. Hide Caption 93 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia This aerial photo, taken on November 9, shows bushfires in the northeastern part New South Wales. Hide Caption 94 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Fires burn in the distance as children play on a beach in Forster on November 9. Hide Caption 95 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A fire rages in Bobin on November 9. Hide Caption 96 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia The remains of a property are seen in Bobin on November 9. Hide Caption 97 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A plane drops fire retardant on a bushfire in Harrington on November 8. Hide Caption 98 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Firefighters try to put out a bushfire in Woodford on November 8. Hide Caption 99 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Police knock on the door of a house to warn residents of an out-of-control bushfire near Clumber on November 8. Hide Caption 100 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia A resident hoses smoldering logs as a bushfire burns in Woodford on November 8. Hide Caption 101 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia The sun is seen through heavy smoke as a bushfire burns in Woodford. Hide Caption 102 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Firefighters hose down an area in Woodford. Hide Caption 103 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia Forster residents watch as a water-bombing helicopter flies over a bushfire on November 7. Hide Caption 104 of 105 Photos: In photos: Bushfires rage through Australia In this handout photo from NASA's Aqua satellite, destructive bushfires are seen off the coast of New South Wales on November 7. Hide Caption 105 of 105

Australia has been getting hotter and drier for decades.

Since 1910, the country has warmed by just over 1°C -- on par with global levels -- and this has meant more frequent and more intense heatwaves. Last year was the hottest and driest year ever recorded in Australia, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

On top of extreme heat, there has been a long-term decline in southern Australia's rainfall, which mainly comes during the winter months. Drought-stricken towns of New South Wales, for example, are suffering with severe water shortages as the state has received less than 125 mm (5 inches) of rain every year since 2017.

That has never happened before.

Without the rains, the dry bush provided the fuel for this year's fires. All that was needed was the spark.

"The signs are that this will become more common. We did have a perfect storm of events this year. But I don't think it's too much of a stretch to imagine that this is this is what our summers will look like in future, which is really quite confronting," Ashcroft said.

Land of extremes

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Furthermore, Australia is known for extreme fluctuations in its weather. In summer, it's not uncommon for towns to see 40°C weather one day and heavy hailstorms the next.

But the climate crisis is making those fluctuations worse, experts say.

"What we're seeing now is that natural variability is occurring on top of the long-term, human-induced climate changes, and that we're seeing the extremes becoming even more extreme," said Nerilie Abram, professor at the Australia National University Research School of Earth Sciences in Melbourne.

Driving Australia's erratic weather are several climate systems that conspired in such a way this year to exacerbate the hot, dry conditions.

A climate phenomenon called the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) had a big role. You're not alone if you've never heard of the IOD, but you might know about its counterpart in the Pacific Ocean, El Nino . El Niño is a warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean, mainly along the Equator, and it can change circulation patterns around the globe.

The IOD describes changes in sea surface temperatures between the opposing eastern (near Indonesia) and western (near Africa) parts of the Indian Ocean, and it has three phases: neutral, positive and negative.

Changes between these phases can affect rainfall patterns -- so dry conditions in Australia could mean flooding thousands of miles away in East Africa , or vice versa.

A positive IOD -- which is what we've seen in recent months -- is a sustained warming of the waters near the Horn of Africa while water to the northwest of Australia becomes unusually cool. This cuts off one of Australia's key sources of moisture, leading to less rainfall and higher than normal temperatures.

Last year was one of the strongest positive IOD events on record, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, meaning Australia experienced extremely hot and extremely dry conditions, on top of long-term warming.

Another climate system called the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) also contributed to Australia's dry weather conditions this year. The SAM is the movement of a belt of westerly winds that are pushed either north toward Australia or south toward Antarctica, and its impact on Australia differs depending on the season.

There has been a long term trend of the SAM becoming more positive, Abram said, which means that the westerly winds between Australia and Antarctica are shifting further southwards. As a consequence, the southern parts of Australia that receive winter rainfall from those winds are not receiving as much.

But the SAM went through a negative phase from late October to late December -- the start of Australia's summer -- shifting the belt of westerly winds over the Southern Ocean northwards towards the equator, fanning the flames of the bushfires.

"These climate drivers acted to not only enhance fire dangers, but also suppress the thunderstorm activity that we would normally expect to impact eastern parts of Australia during spring and summer," said Diana Eadie, meteorologist for the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's Extreme Weather Desk.

Scientists say that rising greenhouse gas emissions are distorting those natural climate drivers.

Since the 1960s, positive Indian Ocean Dipole events have been becoming more common and stronger, according to Abram, and climate models suggest that trend is likely to continue.

"If we continue on a high greenhouse gas emission pathway, then we would expect these events to be three times more frequent in the 21st century compared to the 20th century because of the human-induced climate change," she said.

This is the proof

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Public outrage over the fires has been mounting, with much of the anger directed at Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his administration's climate policies and response to the fires.

Last week, more than 400 climate, weather and fire scientists signed an open letter calling on Australia's leaders and policymakers to take "genuine concerted action to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases." The scientists unequivocally link the bushfires to human-induced climate change.

Abram, one of the signatories of the letter, said it had been "disheartening" as a climate scientist to have correctly made predictions for years and for governments to have basically ignored them.

"This is what climate change looks like -- it is actually here now, it's affecting us now. And it is going to get worse unless we dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Abram added.

Along with increased risk of fire, more intense droughts, heatwaves, prolonged summers and less rain are in store for Australia if the world doesn't limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, in accordance with the Paris Agreement. Global C02 emissions are currently track to warm the earth by 3°C or more by the end of the century.

Questions are being asked over how that hotter future would impact water resources, livelihoods, businesses, tourism, and even the ability to live in certain places of the country.

"There probably needs to be some discussion about where it is safe to live or where it is safe to build," Ashcroft said. "(But) I don't think that Australia will get to a point where it'll be a Mad Max anarchy kind of thing. I believe that we have the ability to adapt and to change what we do."

Australia needs to take a two-pronged approach to survive the coming decades, experts say: Adapt to warming global temperatures and mitigate against them and their affects. Moving away from fossil fuel energy sources will be key.

What is needed now, Abram said, is real leadership.

"Because what we're talking about is not just a little bit of tweaking around the edges in terms of our economies," she said. "We're talking about the need for a managed transition of the way that we operate."