Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Murray-Darling River System, Australia clearly links the catchment with the estuary, including such topics as the recent major water reforms in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB); the MDB system (hydrology, water-related ecological assets, land use and social systems); management within the MDB (catchments and natural resources, water resources, irrigation water, environmental water, and monitoring and evaluation); future challenges; and finally, a synthesis chapter that summarized the main points made in the book.
Murray-Darling River System, Australia sets the context for these recent changes, discusses the development of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan (Basin Plan), details the biophysical and social components of the MDB, then focuses on what is currently happening with the management of water (environmental and irrigation), land (catchments, agriculture), and finally addresses several of the looming challenges for the management of this system, including what policy and management changes need to be made for the entire system to be managed as an integrated whole. This is a much-needed text for water resources managers, water, catchment, estuarine and coastal scientists and aquatic ecologists.
Synopsis
Murray-Darling Basin, Australia: Its Future Management is a much-needed text for water resources managers, water, catchment, estuarine and coastal scientists, and aquatic ecologists. The book first provides a summary of the Murray-Darling River system: its hydrology, water-related ecological assets, land uses (particularly irrigation), and its rural and regional communities; and management within the Basin, including catchments and natural resources, water resources, irrigation, environment, and monitoring and evaluation. Additionally, the recent major water reforms in the Basin are discussed, with a focus particularly on the development and implementation of the Basin Plan.
Murray-Darling Basin, Australia: Its Future Management then provides an analysis of the next set of policy and institutional reforms (environmental, social, cultural and economic) needed to ensure the Basin is managed as an integrated system (including its water resources, catchment and estuary) capable of adapting to future changes. Six major challenges facing the Basin are identified and discussed, particularly within the context of predicted changes to the climate leading to an increased frequency of drought and a hotter and dryer future. Finally, a 'road map' or 'blueprint' to achieve more integrated management of the Basin is provided, together with some 'key lessons' of relevance to others involved in the management of multijurisdictional river Basins.