australia: positive flows imposed by
government
Australia,
as the driest inhabited continent and with
a rural sector that is increasingly
controlled by large corporations, has
ongoing struggles regarding access to
water. As a result, in recent years the
concept of `environmental flows` has gained
widespread support amongst many state
government and some federal government
authorities. The environmental flow is the
minimum amount of water required to ensure
the ecological survival of any particular
river system, taking into account the
seasonal nature of these flows, for
instance spring floods. The environmental
flow which is determined for a particular
river, which might be perhaps 40% of the
overall flow, is then reserved for the
river system. In many instances this means
that there is a water shortage for other
users, for example the water intensive
irrigators who practise unsustainable
agriculture. Given that the overall amount
of available water is reduced, users are
compelled to make their use of water more
efficient if they are not to see production
levels drop. This drives an overall
improvement in water management in the
catchments where it is applied, as well as
helping to ensure the ecological survival
of threatened river systems.
more information
Friends of the Earth
Australia
