Murray-Darling Basin, Australia: Its Future Management

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.

Provides a consolidated account of the Murray-Darling Basin system; an area of global relevance to those interested in rebalancing river systems where the water resources have been over allocated
Offers a detailed analysis of the current system and its management, with a focus on water and ecosystem management
Discusses a number of key challenges, particularly those related to climate change, facing future reforms to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan
Provides a blueprint for changes needed to ensure the Basin is managed as an integrated whole (from catchment to coast)

Chapter 1. Introduction to the Murray–Darling Basin system, Australia
Barry T. Hart, Nick R. Bond, Neil Byron, Carmel A. Pollino, and Michael J. Stewardson
Section 1: Rural communities and water-related assets
Chapter 2. Rural and regional communities of the Murray–Darling Basin
Carmel A. Pollino, Barry T. Hart, Martin Nolan, Neil Byron, and Rod Marsh
Chapter 3. Hydrology of the Murray–Darling Basin
Michael J. Stewardson, Glen Walker, and Matthew Coleman
Chapter 4. Water-based assets of the Murray–Darling Basin and their ecological condition
Nick R. Bond, Shane Brooks, Samantha Capon, Jennifer Hale, Mark Kennard, and Heather McGinness
Chapter 5. Ecological condition of the Lower Lakes and Coorong
Justin Brookes, Kane Aldridge, Matthew Hipsey, Brendan Busch, Qifeng Ye, Matt Gibbs, and David Paton
Chapter 6. Water quality: Land use impacts on salinity, sediments, and nutrients
Glen Walker and Ian P. Prosser
Chapter 7. Water quality in the Murray–Darling Basin: The potential impacts of climate change
Darren S. Baldwin
Section 2: Policy and management of the MDB
Chapter 8. Current water resources policy and planning in the Murray–Darling Basin
Megan Dyson
Chapter 9. Current integrated catchment management policy and management settings in the Murray–Darling Basin
John Riddiford
Chapter 10. Active management of environmental water in the Murray–Darling Basin
Hilary Johnson, Michael Peat, and Jody Swirepik
Chapter 11. Monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive management in the Murray–Darling Basin
Ben Gawne, Katie A. Ryan, Matthew Coleman, Alex Meehan, Peter E. Davies, Adam Sluggett, Andy Lowes, Neville Crossman, and Colin Mues
Section 3: Climate change impacts in the MDB
Chapter 12. Climate change in the Murray–Darling Basin
Penny Whetton and Francis Chiew
Chapter 13. Adaptation and policy responses to climate change impacts in the Murray–Darling Basin
Anthony (Tony) Slatyer
Section 4: Policy and management responses to other future challenges
Chapter 14. Future environmental water management
Andrew K. Sharpe, Darren S. Baldwin, Fiona Dyer, and Iwona Conlan
Chapter 15. Empowering First Nations in the governance and management of the Murray–Darling Basin
Sue Jackson, Rene Woods, and Fred Hooper
Chapter 16. Challenges to improved integrated management of the Murray–Darling Basin
Rebecca Nelson
Chapter 17. The role of future science and technologies in water management
Chantal Donnelly, Leo Lymburner, Ulrike Bende-Michl, Andrew Frost, and Eva Rodriguez
Chapter 18. The way forward: Continuing policy and management reforms in the Murray–Darling basin
Barry T. Hart, Jason Alexandra, Nick R. Bond, Neil Byron, Rod Marsh, Carmel A. Pollino, and Michael J. Stewardson