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Nature.org talked to Michael Looker, the program director for The Nature Conservancy in Australia, to learn how growing demand for water is affecting the Murray-Darling river system, and how a water certification program can help improve the health of this iconic river system.
“The extensive network of rivers and tributaries that make up the Murray-Darling Basin bring a green belt of life to the otherwise semi-arid and desert landscape of Australia.
"Spanning an incredible 2,100 miles and four states, the basin:
- Drains one-seventh of Australia’s land mass;
- Features much of the country’s best farmland; and
- Directly supports over two million people.
"The development of the basin's water resources has been critical to the region’s economic growth. But an over-allocation of water resources has so adversely affected the health of the basin it has now reached a critical state.
"The Murray River now experiences severe drought-like conditions over 60 percent of the year – rather than 5 percent under natural conditions.
"Efforts have been made at a national level to cap the current allocation of the basin’s water resources, but in the continuing drought conditions – which have gripped much of Australia for close to a decade – a cap on allocations will simply not be enough to achieve sustainable levels of use.
"Currently there are few incentives for large-scale water users to reduce their impact on the basin. A balance is needed that enables the basin to sustainably meet the economic needs of a growing population but also ensures the future health of the basin’s ecosystems.
"Developing a water certification program that encourages large-scale water users to become better stewards of the water resources that sustain us will be an important part of the solution."
Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © James Fitzsimons (Murray-Darling River); Photo © Erika Nortemann (Michael Looker).
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