Drought - The Big Dry

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Drought Case Study: 'The Big Dry'	'The Big Dry' is the name given by locals to the 2002-2012 drought in South-Eastern Australia. The worst affected area has been the Murray-Darling drainage basin.
The Murray-Darling Drainage Basin	- Extends across SE Australia, from Queensland to South Australia. - Provides 40% of Australia's agricultural produce and makes up 70% of Australia's irrigated cropland and pastures. - Home to over 55,000 farmers. - Holds 60% of Australia's vineyards.
The Murray-Darling Drainage Basin (2)	- Is the size of France & Spain combined - Provides 85% of water nationally used for irrigation, and 75% of Australia's water altogether. - It is home to almost 2 million people. - It is managed and administered by the government.
Beginnings of the Drought	- In 2006 just 1317 billion litres of water flowed into the Murray-Darling Basin; almost 25% less than the previous record low (during the 1902 drought). - The annual flow of water in the MDB has been predicted to fall by anything from 10 to 45% by 2070.
Australia's Patterns of Rainfall	- Rainfall greatly varies due to the size, location and geography of Australia. - Generally, Australia has 3 good years of rainfall and 3 bad years in every 10. - Averagely, a severe drought affects Australia once every 18 years.
Past Droughts	- 1958-68: The last two years of the drought saw a 40% drop in the wheat harvest, the loss of 20 million sheep and a drop in farm income of $300-500 mil. - 1991-95: Rural production fell by 10% (a loss of $5 billion to the economy). $590 million provided in drought relief.
Impacts on Agriculture by 2007	- The allocation of irrigation water to some farms was cut. - Production of irrigated crops including cotton lint, wine grapes and rice fell. - Farmers were forced to sell off livestock and abandon their land. - Many farmers laden with debt.
Social Impacts by 2007	- Communities disappeared as people left. - Local services became understaffed. - The rural suicide rate soared. - Food imports rose to meet demand. - Energy and water prices soared by as much as 20% and HEP production in Victoria and Tasmania fell.
Social Impacts (2)	- Farmers and small agricultural businesses became dependent on support from the state, including income support, free counselling, interest rate subsidies. - Water restrictions enforced in all major Australian cities ranging in severity from 1 to 8. Goulburn, NSW reached 5.
Environmental Impacts by 2007	- Loss of vegetation and wildlife. - Soil erosion. - Declining water quality. - Toxic algal outbreaks in depleted rivers, dams and lakes. - Increase in bush fires and dust storms. - HEP had to be replaced by fossil fuels.
Economic Impacts by 2007	- Wiped away 1% of the national economy. - Nearly 60% of businesses in Victoria affected. - 34% of rural businesses reported a major impact, compared 10% in urban areas. - The 2008 vintage wine was crippled due to a 40% decrease in grape production.
Causes of the Drought - El Niño	During El Niño years, the normally warm waters and low pressure systems of the West Pacific are switched with the cold water and high pressure systems from the East. The cool air from the East warms as it descends from the upper atmosphere, creating dry weather conditions.
Southern Oscillation Index	The change between normal years and El Niño years is called the 'Southern Oscillation'. By measuring air pressure in Darwin and at Easter Island and calculating the difference, meteorologists can calculate the Southern Oscillation Index.
Causes - Climate Change	- 2002 was the 4th hottest year on record in Australia, and average national temperatures were the highest. - The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published a report stating that Australia is experiencing climate change that could have disastrous effects.
Improving Water Security	- The National Plan for Water Security (January 2007) aimed to ensure that rural water use becomes sustainable. - It builds on the Living Murray Initiative and the Australian Government Water Fund. The government planned to invest $10 billion over 10 years to improve water management.
The Plan: Modernising Irrigation Methods - In an average year, irrigated agriculture uses roughly 70% of Australia's water. - Up to 65% of this water is lost or wasted.	Solutions: - Piping or lining channels and adopting more efficient watering methods. - Adopting more accurate water meters. - Improving river operations and storage management, e.g. reducing evaporation.
Addressing Over-Allocation in the MDB Over Allocation is where more entitlements to irrigation water have been issued than can be sustained.	- Parts of irrigation schemes which are not viable, e.g. in salt affected areas, will be identified and retired. - Irrigators (e.g. farmers) will be given help to leave the industry - Water saved will be managed to restore wetlands and rivers in the MDB.
Reforming the Management of the MDB - The MDB is home to over 2 million people and a further million rely on its water - The land and water of the MDB are of great economic importance	- The government plans to take control of the MDB. It was previously jointly managed by the separate state governments of Queensland, Victoria, NSW, South Australia and the Capital Territory.
Upgrading Water Information As water becomes more scarce and demand increases, it is vital to monitor the resource and its use, at a national level, a basin scale, and for individual farms.	-The Bureau of Meteorology will have a key role in helping water data collecting agencies to moderate and extend their measurements. - It will also maintain a national database and reporting system for all water information, e.g. forecasts.
The Australian Government Water Fund	- The Australian Government Water Fund is a $2 billion investment in water solutions for current and future generations. - It focuses on water infrastructure and improved management. - It is made up of three programmes.
Water Smart Australia	- Aims to accelerate the development and uptake of 'smart' technologies and practices in water use. - It is targeted at large scale projects. - The Lake Brewster Project is one of the many Water Smart schemes.
Lake Brewster Water Efficiency Project	- Announced in February 2007 aiming to improve Lake Brewster for storage on the Lachian River in NSW. - A joint initiative between regional resource managers, delivery managers and water users.
Lake Brewster Water Efficiency Project - Aims	- Save up to 10 gigalitres of water. - improve water security by 4%. - Create 1100 hectares of managed wetlands to improve water quality and local ecology. - Manage over flows in a natural way. - Improve the environment downstream.
Changing Farming	- Drought tolerant plants are being developed by The Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). - They have bread 'Drysdale'; a wheat which yields 5% more than other varieties in dry conditions.
Changing Farming (2)	- Precision farming using satellite information to estimate biomass and deliver this to farmers. - Farmers can then make informed decisions on management of their land. - GPS is being used for accurate seed sowing by guiding tractors and seeders.
Desalination Plants	- In 2007, the government in Victoria announced plans to build one of the world's largest desalination plants near Melbourne. - It was completed in 2012 and now supplies 33% of Melbourne's water.
Urban dams and Disused Reservoirs	- There are suggestions for small dams to be built near parks and playing fields in Sydney in order to store water to use on the same site. - Sydney could capture millions of litres of storm water in disused reservoirs and storage spaces such as old rail tunnels.

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	Created by Callum Dwyer almost 9 years ago