Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

Author: Barry Hart

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2020-11-08

Total Pages: 468

ISBN-13: 0128181524

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Murray-Darling Basin, Australia: Its Future Management is a much-needed text for water resources managers, water, catchment, estuarine and coastal scientists, and aquatic ecologists. The book first provides a summary of the Murray-Darling River system: its hydrology, water-related ecological assets, land uses (particularly irrigation), and its rural and regional communities; and management within the Basin, including catchments and natural resources, water resources, irrigation, environment, and monitoring and evaluation. Additionally, the recent major water reforms in the Basin are discussed, with a focus particularly on the development and implementation of the Basin Plan. Murray-Darling Basin, Australia: Its Future Management then provides an analysis of the next set of policy and institutional reforms (environmental, social, cultural and economic) needed to ensure the Basin is managed as an integrated system (including its water resources, catchment and estuary) capable of adapting to future changes. Six major challenges facing the Basin are identified and discussed, particularly within the context of predicted changes to the climate leading to an increased frequency of drought and a hotter and dryer future. Finally, a 'road map' or 'blueprint' to achieve more integrated management of the Basin is provided, together with some 'key lessons' of relevance to others involved in the management of multijurisdictional river Basins. Provides a consolidated account of the Murray-Darling Basin system; an area of global relevance to those interested in rebalancing river systems where the water resources have been over allocated Offers a detailed analysis of the current system and its management, with a focus on water and ecosystem management Discusses a number of key challenges, particularly those related to climate change, facing future reforms to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Provides a blueprint for changes needed to ensure the Basin is managed as an integrated whole (from catchment to coast)


Book Synopsis Murray-Darling Basin, Australia by : Barry Hart

Download or read book Murray-Darling Basin, Australia written by Barry Hart and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2020-11-08 with total page 468 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Murray-Darling Basin, Australia: Its Future Management is a much-needed text for water resources managers, water, catchment, estuarine and coastal scientists, and aquatic ecologists. The book first provides a summary of the Murray-Darling River system: its hydrology, water-related ecological assets, land uses (particularly irrigation), and its rural and regional communities; and management within the Basin, including catchments and natural resources, water resources, irrigation, environment, and monitoring and evaluation. Additionally, the recent major water reforms in the Basin are discussed, with a focus particularly on the development and implementation of the Basin Plan. Murray-Darling Basin, Australia: Its Future Management then provides an analysis of the next set of policy and institutional reforms (environmental, social, cultural and economic) needed to ensure the Basin is managed as an integrated system (including its water resources, catchment and estuary) capable of adapting to future changes. Six major challenges facing the Basin are identified and discussed, particularly within the context of predicted changes to the climate leading to an increased frequency of drought and a hotter and dryer future. Finally, a 'road map' or 'blueprint' to achieve more integrated management of the Basin is provided, together with some 'key lessons' of relevance to others involved in the management of multijurisdictional river Basins. Provides a consolidated account of the Murray-Darling Basin system; an area of global relevance to those interested in rebalancing river systems where the water resources have been over allocated Offers a detailed analysis of the current system and its management, with a focus on water and ecosystem management Discusses a number of key challenges, particularly those related to climate change, facing future reforms to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Provides a blueprint for changes needed to ensure the Basin is managed as an integrated whole (from catchment to coast)


Sold Down the River

Sold Down the River

Author: Scott Hamilton

Publisher: Text Publishing

Published: 2021-08-31

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 1922459453

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Two insiders expose the shocking and shameful betrayal of Australia’s regional heartland so international bankers and traders could make a quick buck.


Book Synopsis Sold Down the River by : Scott Hamilton

Download or read book Sold Down the River written by Scott Hamilton and published by Text Publishing. This book was released on 2021-08-31 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two insiders expose the shocking and shameful betrayal of Australia’s regional heartland so international bankers and traders could make a quick buck.


Wetlands in a Dry Land

Wetlands in a Dry Land

Author: Emily O'Gorman

Publisher: University of Washington Press

Published: 2021-07-13

Total Pages: 284

ISBN-13: 0295749040

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In the name of agriculture, urban growth, and disease control, humans have drained, filled, or otherwise destroyed nearly 87 percent of the world’s wetlands over the past three centuries. Unintended consequences include biodiversity loss, poor water quality, and the erosion of cultural sites, and only in the past few decades have wetlands been widely recognized as worth preserving. Emily O’Gorman asks, What has counted as a wetland, for whom, and with what consequences? Using the Murray-Darling Basin—a massive river system in eastern Australia that includes over 30,000 wetland areas—as a case study and drawing on archival research and original interviews, O’Gorman examines how people and animals have shaped wetlands from the late nineteenth century to today. She illuminates deeper dynamics by relating how Aboriginal peoples acted then and now as custodians of the landscape, despite the policies of the Australian government; how the movements of water birds affected farmers; and how mosquitoes have defied efforts to fully understand, let alone control, them. Situating the region’s history within global environmental humanities conversations, O’Gorman argues that we need to understand wetlands as socioecological landscapes in order to create new kinds of relationships with and futures for these places.


Book Synopsis Wetlands in a Dry Land by : Emily O'Gorman

Download or read book Wetlands in a Dry Land written by Emily O'Gorman and published by University of Washington Press. This book was released on 2021-07-13 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the name of agriculture, urban growth, and disease control, humans have drained, filled, or otherwise destroyed nearly 87 percent of the world’s wetlands over the past three centuries. Unintended consequences include biodiversity loss, poor water quality, and the erosion of cultural sites, and only in the past few decades have wetlands been widely recognized as worth preserving. Emily O’Gorman asks, What has counted as a wetland, for whom, and with what consequences? Using the Murray-Darling Basin—a massive river system in eastern Australia that includes over 30,000 wetland areas—as a case study and drawing on archival research and original interviews, O’Gorman examines how people and animals have shaped wetlands from the late nineteenth century to today. She illuminates deeper dynamics by relating how Aboriginal peoples acted then and now as custodians of the landscape, despite the policies of the Australian government; how the movements of water birds affected farmers; and how mosquitoes have defied efforts to fully understand, let alone control, them. Situating the region’s history within global environmental humanities conversations, O’Gorman argues that we need to understand wetlands as socioecological landscapes in order to create new kinds of relationships with and futures for these places.


Dead in the Water

Dead in the Water

Author: Richard Beasley

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Published: 2021-02-02

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 1761061062

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Full-throated and provocative, this is a very personal battle cry to save our most precious natural resource. 'I LOVE IT.' Peter FitzSimons 'With a deft mixture of outrage, humour and in-depth knowledge, only Beasley could make water policy a page turner.' Craig Reucassel 'It's great to shed some more light on the policy creep and mismanagement that is driving environmental degradation of many of the Murray-Darling Basin rivers.' Professor Richard Kingsford, Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists 'We want to reset these bio-diversities and the ecologies in our country. We want to see our fish spawning as they once were, our animals coming back down to drink. Fresh quality water out of the Coorong, not this super saline stuff that we're living in today's environment. It's slowly dying. You can smell the impact of what's happening . . .' Grant Rigney, Ngarrindjeri Nation, from his sworn evidence at the Royal Commission into the Murray-Darling Basin. Richard Beasley is fed up. He's fed up with vested interests killing off Australia's most precious water resource. He's fed up with the cowardice and negligence that have allowed Big Agriculture and irrigators to destroy a river system that can sustain both the environment and the communities that depend on it. He's fed up that a noble plan to save Murray-Darling Basin based on the 'best scientific knowledge' has instead been corroded by lies, the denial of climate change, pseudoscience and political expediency. He pulls no punches. He's provocative, he's outrageous, he points the finger without shame. And he will leave you very, very angry. Dead in the Water would be political satire of the highest order . . . if it weren't so tragically true.


Book Synopsis Dead in the Water by : Richard Beasley

Download or read book Dead in the Water written by Richard Beasley and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2021-02-02 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Full-throated and provocative, this is a very personal battle cry to save our most precious natural resource. 'I LOVE IT.' Peter FitzSimons 'With a deft mixture of outrage, humour and in-depth knowledge, only Beasley could make water policy a page turner.' Craig Reucassel 'It's great to shed some more light on the policy creep and mismanagement that is driving environmental degradation of many of the Murray-Darling Basin rivers.' Professor Richard Kingsford, Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists 'We want to reset these bio-diversities and the ecologies in our country. We want to see our fish spawning as they once were, our animals coming back down to drink. Fresh quality water out of the Coorong, not this super saline stuff that we're living in today's environment. It's slowly dying. You can smell the impact of what's happening . . .' Grant Rigney, Ngarrindjeri Nation, from his sworn evidence at the Royal Commission into the Murray-Darling Basin. Richard Beasley is fed up. He's fed up with vested interests killing off Australia's most precious water resource. He's fed up with the cowardice and negligence that have allowed Big Agriculture and irrigators to destroy a river system that can sustain both the environment and the communities that depend on it. He's fed up that a noble plan to save Murray-Darling Basin based on the 'best scientific knowledge' has instead been corroded by lies, the denial of climate change, pseudoscience and political expediency. He pulls no punches. He's provocative, he's outrageous, he points the finger without shame. And he will leave you very, very angry. Dead in the Water would be political satire of the highest order . . . if it weren't so tragically true.


Flood Country

Flood Country

Author: Emily O'Gorman

Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING

Published: 2012-08-01

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 0643106669

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Floods in the Murray-Darling Basin are crucial sources of water for people, animals and plants in this often dry region of inland eastern Australia. Even so, floods have often been experienced as natural disasters, which have led to major engineering schemes. Flood Country explores the contested and complex history of this region, examining the different ways in which floods have been understood and managed and some of the long-term consequences for people, rivers and ecologies. The book examines many tensions, ranging from early exchanges between Aboriginal people and settlers about the dangers of floods, through to long running disputes between graziers and irrigators over damming floodwater, and conflicts between residents and colonial governments over whose responsibility it was to protect townships from floods. Flood Country brings the Murray-Darling Basin's flood history into conversation with contemporary national debates about climate change and competing access to water for livelihoods, industries and ecosystems. It provides an important new historical perspective on this significant region of Australia, exploring how people, rivers and floods have re-made each other.


Book Synopsis Flood Country by : Emily O'Gorman

Download or read book Flood Country written by Emily O'Gorman and published by CSIRO PUBLISHING. This book was released on 2012-08-01 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Floods in the Murray-Darling Basin are crucial sources of water for people, animals and plants in this often dry region of inland eastern Australia. Even so, floods have often been experienced as natural disasters, which have led to major engineering schemes. Flood Country explores the contested and complex history of this region, examining the different ways in which floods have been understood and managed and some of the long-term consequences for people, rivers and ecologies. The book examines many tensions, ranging from early exchanges between Aboriginal people and settlers about the dangers of floods, through to long running disputes between graziers and irrigators over damming floodwater, and conflicts between residents and colonial governments over whose responsibility it was to protect townships from floods. Flood Country brings the Murray-Darling Basin's flood history into conversation with contemporary national debates about climate change and competing access to water for livelihoods, industries and ecosystems. It provides an important new historical perspective on this significant region of Australia, exploring how people, rivers and floods have re-made each other.


Basin Futures

Basin Futures

Author: Daniel Connell

Publisher: ANU E Press

Published: 2011-05-01

Total Pages: 500

ISBN-13: 1921862254

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This unique book brings together 27 chapters from some of the world's leading practitioners and experts on environmental water, communities, law, economics and governance. Its goal is to understand the many dimensions of water in the Murray-Darling Basin and provide guidance about how to implement a water management plan that addresses the needs of communities, the economy and the environment. The comprehensiveness of topics covered, the expertise of its authors, and the absolute need to take a multidisciplinary approach to resolving the "wicked problem" of governing our scarce water resource makes this volume a must read for all who care about Australian communities and the environment.


Book Synopsis Basin Futures by : Daniel Connell

Download or read book Basin Futures written by Daniel Connell and published by ANU E Press. This book was released on 2011-05-01 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique book brings together 27 chapters from some of the world's leading practitioners and experts on environmental water, communities, law, economics and governance. Its goal is to understand the many dimensions of water in the Murray-Darling Basin and provide guidance about how to implement a water management plan that addresses the needs of communities, the economy and the environment. The comprehensiveness of topics covered, the expertise of its authors, and the absolute need to take a multidisciplinary approach to resolving the "wicked problem" of governing our scarce water resource makes this volume a must read for all who care about Australian communities and the environment.


Water Policy Reform

Water Policy Reform

Author: John Quiggin

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 1781000328

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'This book is a must-read for anyone interested in how to ensure sustainability while effectively addressing social and economic issues. The contributors are all well-recognised in their areas of expertise and their chapters are highly informative. The book's focus is on policy reform in the MurrayDarling Basin. It offers a "window to the future" and important insights for other parts of the world that are also facing the dilemma of the overextraction of water and what to do about it. I highly recommend it.' Quentin Grafton, The Australian National University 'Managing the water of the MurrayDarling Basin has emerged as one of the greatest challenges for Australia's scientists, social scientists and policymakers. This book brings together some of Australia's leading economists and social scientists to discuss ideas and solutions for a national problem that is both intriguing and exasperating. Readers will enjoy the candid discussion of both the distant and recent history of this issue, plus the innovative solutions. From a philosophical perspective the reader may wish to muse on the relative merits of different degrees of free market and private property approaches vs top-down control as they pertain to the past, present and future of Australia's largest river basin.' Hugh Possingham, University of Queensland, Australia Agriculture in the MurrayDarling Basin of Australia represents a controversial 'policy experiment' comprising large capital investments, innovation and enterprise across a 100-year period. This book, which contains contributions from some of Australia's foremost economic, social science and public policy researchers and writers, examines the evolution of public policy frameworks that transformed water management from initial exploitation for irrigation as a dominant single use to a dynamic multiple-use resource system. Water Policy Reform provides both analytical insights and examples of successes and failures in developing water policy in a complex and politically-contested environment. As such, this work attempts to develop a comprehensive management plan for the Basin and provides novel and invaluable lessons for an increasingly global problem. This well-researched study will interest both economists and those with public policy interest in academia and the public sector, including development agencies concerned with sustainable water resource management.


Book Synopsis Water Policy Reform by : John Quiggin

Download or read book Water Policy Reform written by John Quiggin and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2012 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'This book is a must-read for anyone interested in how to ensure sustainability while effectively addressing social and economic issues. The contributors are all well-recognised in their areas of expertise and their chapters are highly informative. The book's focus is on policy reform in the MurrayDarling Basin. It offers a "window to the future" and important insights for other parts of the world that are also facing the dilemma of the overextraction of water and what to do about it. I highly recommend it.' Quentin Grafton, The Australian National University 'Managing the water of the MurrayDarling Basin has emerged as one of the greatest challenges for Australia's scientists, social scientists and policymakers. This book brings together some of Australia's leading economists and social scientists to discuss ideas and solutions for a national problem that is both intriguing and exasperating. Readers will enjoy the candid discussion of both the distant and recent history of this issue, plus the innovative solutions. From a philosophical perspective the reader may wish to muse on the relative merits of different degrees of free market and private property approaches vs top-down control as they pertain to the past, present and future of Australia's largest river basin.' Hugh Possingham, University of Queensland, Australia Agriculture in the MurrayDarling Basin of Australia represents a controversial 'policy experiment' comprising large capital investments, innovation and enterprise across a 100-year period. This book, which contains contributions from some of Australia's foremost economic, social science and public policy researchers and writers, examines the evolution of public policy frameworks that transformed water management from initial exploitation for irrigation as a dominant single use to a dynamic multiple-use resource system. Water Policy Reform provides both analytical insights and examples of successes and failures in developing water policy in a complex and politically-contested environment. As such, this work attempts to develop a comprehensive management plan for the Basin and provides novel and invaluable lessons for an increasingly global problem. This well-researched study will interest both economists and those with public policy interest in academia and the public sector, including development agencies concerned with sustainable water resource management.


Floodplain Wetland Biota in the Murray-Darling Basin

Floodplain Wetland Biota in the Murray-Darling Basin

Author: Kerrylee Rogers

Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 361

ISBN-13: 0643096280

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Floodplain wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin provide critical habitat for numerous species of flora and fauna; unfortunately, the ecology of these wetlands is threatened by a range of environmental issues. This book addresses the urgent need for an improved ecohydrological understanding of the biota of Australian freshwater wetlands. It synthesizes key water and habitat requirements for 35 species of plants, 48 species of waterbirds, 17 native and four introduced species of fish, 15 species of frogs, and 16 species of crustaceans and mollusks found in floodplain wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin. Each species profile includes: the influence of water regimes on the survival, health and condition of the species; key stimuli for reproduction and germination; habitat and dietary preferences; as well as major knowledge gaps for the species. Floodplain Wetland Biota in the Murray-Darling Basinalso provides an overview of the likely impacts of hydrological change on wetland ecosystems and biota, in the context of climate change and variability, with implications for environmental management. This important book provides an essential baseline for further education, scientific research and management of floodplain wetland biota in the Murray-Darling Basin. KEY FEATURES * Provides an overview of floodplain wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin and their key freshwater biota (flora and fauna) * Includes information on water and habitat requirements in the form of succinct species profiles * Focuses on the influence of water regimes on the survival, health and condition of species


Book Synopsis Floodplain Wetland Biota in the Murray-Darling Basin by : Kerrylee Rogers

Download or read book Floodplain Wetland Biota in the Murray-Darling Basin written by Kerrylee Rogers and published by CSIRO PUBLISHING. This book was released on 2010 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Floodplain wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin provide critical habitat for numerous species of flora and fauna; unfortunately, the ecology of these wetlands is threatened by a range of environmental issues. This book addresses the urgent need for an improved ecohydrological understanding of the biota of Australian freshwater wetlands. It synthesizes key water and habitat requirements for 35 species of plants, 48 species of waterbirds, 17 native and four introduced species of fish, 15 species of frogs, and 16 species of crustaceans and mollusks found in floodplain wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin. Each species profile includes: the influence of water regimes on the survival, health and condition of the species; key stimuli for reproduction and germination; habitat and dietary preferences; as well as major knowledge gaps for the species. Floodplain Wetland Biota in the Murray-Darling Basinalso provides an overview of the likely impacts of hydrological change on wetland ecosystems and biota, in the context of climate change and variability, with implications for environmental management. This important book provides an essential baseline for further education, scientific research and management of floodplain wetland biota in the Murray-Darling Basin. KEY FEATURES * Provides an overview of floodplain wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin and their key freshwater biota (flora and fauna) * Includes information on water and habitat requirements in the form of succinct species profiles * Focuses on the influence of water regimes on the survival, health and condition of species


Margaret Simons on Water, Drought, Food and Politics - the Murray Darling Basin:Quarterly Essay 77

Margaret Simons on Water, Drought, Food and Politics - the Murray Darling Basin:Quarterly Essay 77

Author: Margaret Simons

Publisher: Black Incorporated

Published: 2020-03-23

Total Pages: 128

ISBN-13: 9781760642280

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The Murray-Darling Basin is the food bowl of Australia, and it's in trouble. What does this mean for the future - for water and food, and for the people and towns that depend on it? In this Quarterly Essay, acclaimed journalist Margaret Simons takes a trip through the basin, all the way from Queensland to South Australia. She shows that its plight is environmental but also economic, and enmeshed in ideology and identity. Her essay is both a portrait of the Murray-Darling Basin and an explanation of its woes. It looks at rural Australia and the failure of political processes over the last few generations to meet the needs of communities forced to bear the heaviest burden of change. It considers corruption and resource politics, drought and climate change.


Book Synopsis Margaret Simons on Water, Drought, Food and Politics - the Murray Darling Basin:Quarterly Essay 77 by : Margaret Simons

Download or read book Margaret Simons on Water, Drought, Food and Politics - the Murray Darling Basin:Quarterly Essay 77 written by Margaret Simons and published by Black Incorporated. This book was released on 2020-03-23 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Murray-Darling Basin is the food bowl of Australia, and it's in trouble. What does this mean for the future - for water and food, and for the people and towns that depend on it? In this Quarterly Essay, acclaimed journalist Margaret Simons takes a trip through the basin, all the way from Queensland to South Australia. She shows that its plight is environmental but also economic, and enmeshed in ideology and identity. Her essay is both a portrait of the Murray-Darling Basin and an explanation of its woes. It looks at rural Australia and the failure of political processes over the last few generations to meet the needs of communities forced to bear the heaviest burden of change. It considers corruption and resource politics, drought and climate change.


Water Politics in the Murray-Darling Basin

Water Politics in the Murray-Darling Basin

Author: Daniel Connell

Publisher: Federation Press

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 9781862876330

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In January 2007 the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, announced a $10 billion plan to reform rural water management. Most of the effort will focus on the Murray-Darling Basin. In this book Daniel Connell explains why there is a crisis in the Murray Darling. He highlights the disastrous consequences of a century of fitful, reluctant "co-operation" between the six governments responsible for the region. Connell argues that a new institutional system is essential - but a Commonwealth takeover is not the best answer. Instead, the Commonwealth government should use its constitutional and financial power to force the States to adopt national policies - and stick to them, whatever the local politics. The States would continue to play a substantial role but the controls would be tighter, the framework more comprehensive. He also shows how the National Water Initiative, the great blueprint for water reform, has stalled with many of its most important recommendations ignored. So far the public debate about the future of the Murray Darling Basin has concentrated on new technical projects and increased water trading. Connell argues that unless institutional change is given priority, hundreds of millions of dollars of annual investment will be frittered away - and the crisis will continue.


Book Synopsis Water Politics in the Murray-Darling Basin by : Daniel Connell

Download or read book Water Politics in the Murray-Darling Basin written by Daniel Connell and published by Federation Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In January 2007 the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, announced a $10 billion plan to reform rural water management. Most of the effort will focus on the Murray-Darling Basin. In this book Daniel Connell explains why there is a crisis in the Murray Darling. He highlights the disastrous consequences of a century of fitful, reluctant "co-operation" between the six governments responsible for the region. Connell argues that a new institutional system is essential - but a Commonwealth takeover is not the best answer. Instead, the Commonwealth government should use its constitutional and financial power to force the States to adopt national policies - and stick to them, whatever the local politics. The States would continue to play a substantial role but the controls would be tighter, the framework more comprehensive. He also shows how the National Water Initiative, the great blueprint for water reform, has stalled with many of its most important recommendations ignored. So far the public debate about the future of the Murray Darling Basin has concentrated on new technical projects and increased water trading. Connell argues that unless institutional change is given priority, hundreds of millions of dollars of annual investment will be frittered away - and the crisis will continue.