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.
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we’re doing droughts for science class and I totally dig it!
omg it is so bad i luv u
I’ve heard that the el nino will turn around soon and change normally, some poeple say its just a cycle of some sort. Is this true? I’ve had to do drought as part of my natural disaster assignment for geography so now im starting to really understand it, and because I live in australia its really important for me to learn this.
okay, thanx.
from Kassie.
In the article, Williams states “It’s a return to the sequence of the first 50 years [of the century].”
This statement belies a kind of ‘inbred’ thought process. The assumption being that there is a predictibility and sameness about these global events, and perhaps at the end of the drought “cycle” a return to sufficiency. That somehow, the climate operates purely independently from human activitiy.
But the larger parameters have changed drastically. There are now 20 million people in Australia and 6 billion people on the planet (and growing). The past 75 years have seen a prodigious consumption of the earth’s non-renewable resources. There will not be a “return” to anything that has preceded this point in time. There is a movement towards points unknown which may or may not include sufficient water resources through traditional means. Perhaps expansion of de-salination is in Australia’s future.
This is weather warefare manipulation done through elf transmissions at low frequency. yes, you bet it is human. china and russia want to be the food suppliers to the world and started moving the wheat belts through this manipulation in the late 1950′s. sad sad sad, that so many have to suffer for the global elite. we’re praying for australia here in the u.s.
I have recently been in the Laidley area of Queensland, and surrounding areas, that have severe 5 water restrictions. I was amazed to see the ground cracking, and the dryness of the country, it was really bad. The people of Laidley feel they only have some three to six months water supply left,and that is a real worry. To see the dry areas such as gardens & lawns around houses, to the country cow paddocks with no water in the dams etc, is very very depressing , to say the least.
dude you need to take a good look around cause at the moment most of australi’s that bad or worse!
This is a really extensive article it is worth ***** 5/5 Keep up the good work!! And did you write any other ones about different subjects??
Ta TA
i am in a servie drought at home it is completly sico. we kill 1000s of sheep evryday to drink their blood and eat their dead carcuses. yum………
i have to reseach drought in litrature and its hard to find stuff on the net but i lyk it!!!!!!!!!
When Sydney needed heat back in the day,(1800s) the tree’s in the outback of NSW were cut down and burned. Mother nature’s payback comes as no shock to me. When Tom Price runs out of Fe {iron} for the rest of the world, The railroad to the port of Port Hedland will be unused. But someone can use it for fun. When the rain doesn’t fall, the farm goes bust.
hi,
i am doing an assignment for science and i am really confused on the topic i have chosen which is ” DROUGHT”.
can you please answer these questions to give me some more info
- biggest effect theat droght has on australia
- what impact the drought has on the community
- what have some peaople done to solve or improve the droght..
thanks a heap …. love me
You could try:
– spelling it properly (as “drought”)
– doing your own research rather than have other people do it for you
hahahahahaha funny shit
hi my names jennifer and i juths got my brathes off now im really pretty!!!
its the end of time!!! what are we going to do? what will happen to us when it gets too hot??
what will happen to our children, and their children? tell me!!
hey me too!! i now have to wear my retainer!! its totally cool! but sometimes i get stuff stuck in my teeth but i look waaaayyy prettier!!
you are grose you know that and as if you would do that
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 scring me and its so damn hot already and its only october
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 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 compulsery to have watertanks and stuff
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.
None of you guys use proper grammar, it’s annoying and hard to read what you’re saying. Learn to spell.
why are droughts cyclical?
us mentally challenged folks here in America have a typical day eating tree branches and sucking the blood from ticks. it is so goooooooooood!!!!
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 !!!
Why do we want to know about your braces???!!!???
Hey. How’s it going? Who wants to be my friend?
do you know how many years australias been in drought
im doin an assignment in IS which is like english i absolutly HATE IT its boring
this class is so boring mann there is lyk 15 mins 2 go cnt wait till lunch
I found a way to use seawater or worse in the garden, home or anywhere good clean drinkable water is needed, using old recycled tires. The cost per unit is cheeper than the state disposal fee for each unit. All that is needed is the sun. They collect water 3 ways, 1) ground water evaporation 2) desalination or solar still, 3) rain water.
I use them on my brackish water well off grid. Any ideas?
greg@seawatertogarden.com
This is no joke, I can build 6 a day and this includes the year round protected greenhouses they feed.
Greg
you need to take a good look around cause Oyunlar
Hello! fcfdced interesting fcfdced site!
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