Floods in an Arid Continent

Nowhere are floods more paradoxical than in the generally arid Australian continent. Floods in an Arid Continent brings together experts in meteorology, hydrology, limnology, ornithology, landscape ecology, veterinary and medical sciences, economics, anthropology and sociology to synthesize current knowledge on floods, their occurrence, and their consequences for the environment and societies in the Australian context.

Floods can have either beneficial or detrimental effects on the landscape and human societies. This book fills this important gap in our study and offers a multidisciplinary approach in understanding the effects of global climate change. The editors provide complete coverage on dynamics, patterns and consequences of floods, studied from several perspectives. Although the geographic focus of the book is Australia, the synthesis that is detailed in this book will undoubtedly be useful for the understanding of floods in all other regions of the planet.

Chapter 1
Introduction

Chapter 2
Climatic Background to Past and Future Floods in Australia

Chapter 3
Floods Down Rivers: From Damaging to Replenishing Forces

Chapter 4
Effects of Floods on Distribution and Reproduction of Aquatic Birds

Chapter 5
The Landscape Context of Flooding in the Murray-Darling Basin

Chapter 6
Effect of Flooding on the Occurrence of Infectious Diseases

Chapter 7
Some Economics of Floods

Chapter 8
Tiddalik’s Travels: The Making and Remaking of an Aboriginal Flood Myth

Chapter 9
Understanding the Social Impacts of Floods in South Eastern Australia