New research shows turning northern rivers inland to irrigate Australia’s dry interior would not increase rainfall. This is another argument against the Bradfield scheme.
Breakdown in local canal that led to micro-drought situation in Humpata (Huíla).
Ruy Blanes
Despite international and national responses to the drought, the situation is dire. The government’s response is a lesson in how not to deal with drought.
Arnagretta Hunter, Australian National University and John Hewson, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
Other existential risks include the decline of natural resources (particularly water), human population growth beyond the Earth’s carrying capacity, and nuclear weapons.
Waters from the Herbert River, which runs toward one of northern Australia’s richest agricultural districts, could be redirected under a Bradfield scheme.
Patrick White
The ‘New Bradfield’ scheme seeks to revive a nation-building ethos supposedly stifled by bureaucratic inertia. But there are good reasons the scheme never became a reality.
The push to ‘drought-proof’ Australia is dangerous nonsense.
AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
The water crisis in South Africa’s Cape Town teaches us there’s more at play than just rainfall. Disasters like droughts means the issue must be seen from many different perspectives, like politics.
Cape Town’s main storage dam, the Theewaterskloof in May 2017 with 9% of water left in storage.
Kevin Winter
Early warning signs of a pending drought are difficult to recognise but cities will have to be better prepared for prolonged changes in weather patterns, so that it can respond quickly.
Cape Town is experiencing the worst drought in 100 years.
Shutterstock
Building resilience in Cape Town’s water sector will require addressing risks like climate change, drought and flooding. Stormwater and groundwater are tipped as potential solutions.
The Millennium drought had a huge impact on the Murray-Darling river system.
suburbanbloke/Flickr/Wikimedia Commons
Droughts are much bigger and slower than other natural disasters that hit Australia - meaning that despite their huge impacts, we still haven’t figured out how best to protect ourselves.
Droughts in South Africa has led to coordinated joint planning and partnerships to combat the problem.
Stephanie Midgley