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.
Articles on Drought strategies
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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.
Other existential risks include the decline of natural resources (particularly water), human population growth beyond the Earth’s carrying capacity, and nuclear weapons.
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.
Yes, Australia naturally cycles through dry and wet periods. But that doesn’t mean we can simply build more dams and trust they’ll be filled.
Having an envoy for drought and a prime minister keen to visit drought-affected areas puts the government under pressure to do the wrong thing.
Small solutions done properly can play a huge role in dealing with water scarcity.
The drought in Cape Town has taught the city some valuable lessons.
Day Zero will be the start of active water rationing when taps will be cut off and people will have to go to collection sites.
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.
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.
Windhoek can teach Cape Town on dealing with drought. Technology alone is not enough.
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.
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.
Drought is a problem in South Africa and it affects farmers. As a result, farmers and government are working together to develop strategies.
Top contributors
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Senior Scholar in Environmental & Geographical Science, University of Cape Town
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Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Global Change Institute, University of the Witwatersrand
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Doctor of Philosophy, University of British Columbia
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Professor, Department of Economics, The University of Melbourne
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Associate Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW
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Senior research scientist, Stellenbosch University
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Research Associate, University of KwaZulu-Natal
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Senior Research Scientist, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University
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Associate Professor, School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering, Adelaide University
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Honorary Fellow, Infrastructure Engineering, The University of Melbourne
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Associate Professor – Hydroclimatology, University of Newcastle
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Researcher and Project Manager in Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change, University of Cape Town
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Adjunct associate, James Cook University
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Associate Professor in Social Anthropology, University of Gothenburg
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Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures, University of Queensland., The University of Queensland