Integrated water resources management in the Murray-Darling Basin: increasing demands on decreasing supplies

摘要

The Murray-Darling Basin contains Australia's most important surface water resource. Ecological damage and threatened water security have led to a cap on further diversions, presently amounting to 45% of the total water resource. An increase in environmental flows representing 2% of the total resource is now sought to restore river health. At the same time, there are threats which may reduce water resources by 10-20% in 2020, including climate trends, afforestation, bush fire vegetation recovery, induced losses to groundwater, and reduced irrigation return flows further downstream. We outline the relative magnitude and characteristics of each threat, and highlight the need for improved observation networks, system-wide water accounting, integrated modelling, and institutional capacity to support future water management.