The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) has today urged a suite of actions and investments to protect the future of the Murray-Darling Basin in the face of climate change, which is threatening the river’s health and sustainability.

In a new essay series A thriving Murray-Darling Basin in 50 years: Actions in the face of climate change, ATSE urges more investment in technologies to monitor the river for climate impacts and in sustained governance with regional and rural communities at the centre, coupled with evolving our agriculture industry in the face of decreased water availability and accepted water sharing policies.

The essay series highlights the vibrant, thriving potential of the Basin if sustainably managed for the benefit of communities and the environment. To achieve this, it recommends the reinstatement of a body to provide independent objective policy advice on national water management, including for the Murray-Darling Basin, to help guide consistent national data-driven decision-making.

ATSE President Katherine Woodthorpe AO FTSE said the future of the Murray-Darling Basin is recognised to be at severe risk and that comprehensive action across Federal, State and Territory Governments will be decisive to safeguard its biodiversity, social and economic importance to Australia.

“The Murray-Darling Basin covers one-seventh of Australia’s landscape and is responsible for delivering a significant share of Australia’s Gross Domestic Product. But more importantly, to safeguard and protect this resource for the future, Australia must take urgent action in the face of increasing climate change.

“To inform evidence-based decision making, we need a central data custodian for all water quantity and water quality monitoring data, which is transparently shared with all stakeholders.

“Managing the Basin effectively will also require a review of institutional arrangements that govern property rights at a Territory, State and Commonwealth level for consistency as well as climate-proofing.

“At the heart of this plan, we need to ensure institutional governance benefits rural and regional communities including addressing the cultural water rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

“It is time for a long-term approach to managing our most important water resource,” said Dr Woodthorpe.

The Academy looks forward to advising the Federal, State and Territory Governments on shaping a comprehensive plan for the Basin that is resilient to our changing climate and charts a course for a thriving river system over the next 50 years.

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