What are some possible solutions to help save the Murray darling basin?

Question

Just for interest and to help with assignments.

Answer 1

Well, a couple of things would be necessary.

1. A serious effort to build desalinization plants, along the coastline and in and around the Melbourne area. The idea is that you want a serious surplus of water available.

Melbourne and the surrounding areas itself should have enough water being desalinated that the city produces a small net positive amount of water.

The areas otherwise need to have pipelines for water to be sent inland to create / maintain lakes and aquifers. The Aquifers have been seriously depleted over time and will take decades to recover.

Otherwise, there needs to be a serious discussion in the rest of Australia about how to deal with the interior.

Ultimately, there have been many studies to suggest that the great desert was in fact a dry woodland, and that if the woodlands were restored, a larger monsoon effect would be drawn over the continent. So Australia in 200 years may have a large central forest instead of a desert.