Australia's prolonged drought has left reservoirs nearly empty in the population centres of the coninent's southeast.
Credit: istockphoto
SYDNEY: Australia's current drought, called the worst in 1,000 years, is the result of changing rainfall patterns and may necessitate major changes in the continent's water economy.
Experts cited climate change as a factor contributing to the increasing uncertainty in Australian weather.
"It's a combination of short El Nino drought and longer-term decreasing rainfall," said Michael Coughlan, of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. "The combination of short and long-term drought is surprising - we didn't see it coming, and it's really shaken everyone up."
The findings come as part of the World Meteorological Organistion (WMO) report on the 2006 global climate, made public today. 2006 was the 6th hottest year on record globally, according to the U.N.'s weather service, and saw prolonged droughts in Australia, the U.S., Brazil, and the Horn of Africa.
Some Australian experts don't see rainfall on the arid continent increasing again anytime soon.
"Drought is too comfortable a word," said John Williams, the New South Wales state Commissioner for Natural Resources. "Drought connotes a return to normal. We need to be adjusting."
According to Williams, Australia is a nation of extremes, where droughts and flooding rains are the norm. The last 50 to 60 years, when Australia developed much its water infrastructure, have been times of relative plenty, he said.
He harked back to the years between 1900 and 1950, when rivers in the Murray-Darling system were dry for a total of 17 years. "It's only been dry 5 years since then," he said. According to Williams, the continent is reverting to the drier conditions of the past, exacerbated by climate-change induced uncertainty.
It's a return to the sequence of the first 50 years [of the century]," he said.
Williams and others think that Australia's new rainfall pattern will require fundamental changes in the way water is used.
The years of high rainfall have led to an over-allocation of water resources that we can no longer sustain, said Williams. "We need more water storage and desalinisation, or better water usage."
Jenifer Simpson, an industrial chemist and water advocate, agreed, stressing water recycling as the way to reduce reliance on uncertain rains. "Right now our 'water cycle' is not a cycle," she said. "Our current urban water cycle is a straight line from dam to disposal, with a shortage of water at one end and pollution at the other."
She said that the technology exists to make recycled water safe for drinking, but that a lack of understanding between the water industry and the community prevented recycled water's acceptance.
"Recycling should be accepted and exploited," she said.
drought in Australia
In the 1960's in New South Wales, we always had plenty of water and also no shortage of food. But also in the sixties there was a big movement to preserve the natural resources because these resources should not be unconditionally exploited. Alot of countries try to implement federal programs such as downsizing of factories causing too much pollution, recycling, maintaining zoos for wildlife preservation, maintenance of gardens, parks. Controlling deforestation, and increasing
through their own media and arts the importance of nature, decreasing of pollution and respect of the earth and lands that people live on. A large number of people do opt to carpool also to ride bikes and also subways.
Often famines and droughts happen frequently in Asia and Africa because the rainy season is missed. So, this problem becomes a natural disaster and crisis for the countries where this occurs. Generally most likely the rainfall does return, if this does not happen probably new technologies would be required to fix this.
ok this drought is really
ok this drought is really scring me and its so damn hot already and its only october
seriously
this drought that Australia is facing i believe that we do need to start using recycled water, invest in a desalination plant to use see water but our farmers crops and their ability to provide for their families is hard, we owe it to them to find new ways to conserve water and the future generations. Only God our creator can heal this land and bring rain!
at the moment we are
at the moment we are studying drought in our food and technology class at school and just the thought of recycling water is absolutely disgusting.
id rather drink desalinated water. i think people should really rethink that one.
yuckkkk.
i reckon it should be
i reckon it should be compulsery to have watertanks and stuff
Alternate crop for draught
Consider Quinoa which yields 3,000 pounds per acre on only ten inches of rain per year. Quinoa is as nutritious as milk, meat, eggs, or potato, and makes a fluffy pilaf. Quinoa has a short growing season, and leaves are edible as well as the grain.
Reply to drought replies
None of you guys use proper grammar, it's annoying and hard to read what you're saying. Learn to spell.
Droughts
why are droughts cyclical?
WORRIED WATER WEIRDO
At the moment, we are looking at natural disasters in sose at school and my group has decided to do drought for our assignment. We have just started do some research but I don't think any of us actually realised how big the drought is in some parts of Australia. We know that the water has been down in queensland for a while and that we are on water restrictions and stuff but will it ever get better and if so, will it be any time soon? Is the drought ever going to go away?
From worried water weirdo !!!
Hello
Hey. How's it going? Who wants to be my friend?