Climate adaptation and water management in Australia

31/08/10 07:54 Filed in: Conference
Tuesday, September 7 12:30 - 2:00 PM Room J 1-050 * Coffee and cookies will be provided

Water Planning and Adapting to Climate Change in Australia: Policy, Law and Practice

Chair: Charles E. Di Leva, Chief Counsel, LEGEN Presenter: Poh Ling Tan, Associate Professor, Griffith Law School, Griffith University Description: Australia's national water policy requires water planning processes to consider climate change. Yet the National Water Initiative 2009 Biennial Assessment states that jurisdictions have not expressly considered it in most water plans. Because of severe drought conditions in 2007-8, many water plans in south eastern Australia were suspended. Will this scenario be repeated in the future because of a lack of preparedness for climate variability and climate change? This presentation considers water planning in the Condamine Alluvium, which is in the headwaters of Australia’s Murray Darling River system. With the need to cut back current groundwater abstraction by 40%, this presentation will discuss the implementation of practical measures which support the consideration of the effects of climate change in water planning. Methods used included a stakeholder analysis; regional groundwater licensees’ perceptions of climate change issues through surveys; a groundwater visualization tool; and workshops.

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This event is the fifth in the series of BBL's on "Tools for Climate Change Adaptation in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management" which aims to disseminate and provide practical tools and resources from the WBI Climate Change Practice. The series will continue each week through to 22 September. Other topics to be covered in the coming weeks will include:
Sustainable Land Management for climate change adaptation in Africa,
  • The "Sustainable Natural Capital" learning package for use by development practitioners.

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