Heavy rain in parts of Australia in recent months has raised hopes Australia’s protracted drought is finally over. But determining whether a region has recovered from drought is a complex undertaking. For example, a drought-stricken area may get enough rain that […]
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In the coming years, we are likely to see more extreme weather conditions. We will need new engineering approaches to manage the complex impacts on our water resources, writes Dr Clare Stephens. When we think about climate change, […]
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Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW), Australia’s largest rural water corporation, has teamed up with researchers from the University of Melbourne to improve water forecasting in northern Victoria, to help irrigators with their business planning, cropping and water trading decisions. GMW […]
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EQUITABLE use of water in the Murry Darling Basin’s Barwon-Darling and lower Darling reaches is now a pipedream, despite the state government’s release of a policy to manage one facet of it, says Australian Floodplain Association president Justin McClure. In […]
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While the UK’s Met Office is out there educating the public, BoM is remarkably coy about any public discussion of climate change. Questions have also been asked whether its senior leadership is too close to the gas industry. Sandi […]
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NSW’s main irrigator lobby group pressed the Berejiklian government to place the state’s water plans above the federal law and sought to tap water earmarked for the environment. The demands are detailed in a letter obtained by the Herald and The […]
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Since 2012, the Australian Energy and Water Exchanges research initiative (OzEWEX) has sought to foster and support communities of researchers and research users in the fields of water and climate science. This endeavour was underpinned by our 2014-2019 Science Plan and […]
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State Library of South Australia As we slowly emerge from lockdown, local adventures are high on people’s wish lists. You may be planning a trip to the ski fields, or even the nearby hills to revel in the […]
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Ephemeral catchments, where there are days with zero flow, are common in many parts of the world, particular in areas with highly variable climate such as Australia (see Figure 1). Recent research has established how the number of […]
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Reliable weather forecasts are critical for the planning and management of a variety of social and economic activities, such as water management. To make such forecasts, numerical weather prediction (NWP) models have been developed. However, NWP models are […]
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The Federal Government has revealed how it will spend the first round of its $5 billion Future Drought Fund, designed to help farmers better prepare for dry times. This round of money will assist farmers to become more […]
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The following is an introduction to Water reform for all: a national response to a water emergency. Read the full report here. Australia’s water reform project is failing to fully deliver for all Australians. With the COVID-19 pandemic, […]
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Plans to fast-track two dams in NSW have prompted calls for Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley to apply biodiversity protection laws to help save ecosystems that would be threatened by the projects. The appeals come as Prime Minister […]
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An analysis of new climate model projections by Australian researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes shows southwestern Australia and parts of southern Australia will see longer and more intense droughts due to a lack […]
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After almost a decade dry, Peery Lake in far west New South Wales has filled thanks to soaking rains from Queensland. The ephemeral lake is a part of the Ramsar-listed Paroo River Wetlands and is an important part […]
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Planning for changes in future water availability due to climate change is crucial for developing equitable sharing of water resources between urban, agricultural, industrial, environmental and other uses of water. Throughout the rest of the 21st century, south-eastern […]
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The majority of rainfall across southern Australia is due to either a low pressure system (cyclone), a cold front, or a thunderstorm. The interactions between these weather systems are particularly important for heavy rain events. As part of […]
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Australia’s complex and extensive inland rivers are among the most hydrologically variable in the world, and yet they are lifelines through dry landscapes that support a large and important agricultural industry and some of our most unique ecosystems. […]
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A call from senior NSW Nationals for Commonwealth-owned environment water to be redirected to farmers is set to sink almost as quickly as it was floated with Victoria and South Australia opposing the move, and experts declaring it […]
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Over half the world’s rivers- and over 70% of Australia’s rivers- go dry for part of each year. During these dry periods, pools of water along the river channels (also called billabongs, springs, or even wetlands) act as […]
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