It's going to be hot and dry for years to come but the upside is that people who plan ahead can make money from everyone's discomfort.

That is according to Professor Bob Miles, from Central Queensland University, who said that international climate research showed a trend towards hotter, drier conditions along Australia's eastern seaboard.

While urging policy makers and industry sector planners to act soon to avert economic and social downturns, Professor Miles said the business community should also be exploring ways to profit from the trend.

"It's not all bad news as long as people start preparing for the changes," he said.

Professor Miles will describe a range of scenarios during a professorial lecture on 'Sustaining regions with a changing climate', due at CQU Rockhampton, from 6pm on Wednesday, March 31.

As Executive Director of CQU's Institute for Sustainable Regional Development, he hopes to inspire people to tackle the issues of climate change as early as possible.

Professor Miles said drier, hotter conditions will effect all of our daily lives including: .

our cropping and grazing industries; .

heavy industry and multinational investment; .

health of the elderly; .

tourism and the reef; .

viability of rural urban communities; .

the spread of viral disorders such as Ross River virus; .

the cost of water treatment due to blue green algae; .

as well as energy demands for cooling, pest problems, land values and forest fire incidents.

Professor Miles said the International Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) maintained its prediction that Australian would experience a near permanent El Nino-like mean state of hot, dry conditions.

He said drought was more likely to be seen as normal, rather than abnormal.

The Institute for Sustainable Regional Development has research, teaching and community-relations functions and is the University's flagship for collaborative research. Professor Miles has more than 20 years experience in research related to the sustainable use and management of Australia’s natural resources. He was awarded his PhD in 1993 following extensive research into the processes of land degradation in the Mulga Lands of South west Queensland. Since then he has held a range of senior management positions within DPI including General Manager for the Office of Rural Communities, a whole-of-government portfolio, and Regional Director for DPI.

Professor Miles has served on many boards including the Queensland Wheat Research Institute and the Emerald Agricultural College. He was also the Chairman of CQ A New Millennium as well as initiating South West Strategy and facilitated the establishment of Queensland Climate Applications. He is a Fellow of Australian Institute Management.