CSIRO - Melbourne Facing 25% Water Supply Shortfall By 2015

[hatrack]

Major cities in the Australian state of Victoria face dwindling water supplies as rivers dry up because of global warming.

New figures from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization show that Melbourne faces a 100 billion-liter shortage -- one quarter of the city's annual needs -- within nine years. This dashes previous predictions of a 33 billion-liters-a-year surplus. A liter equals 2.1 pints.

Global warming and the current drought have caused the flow of water in Melbourne's Yarra River to fall 29 percent in the past 10 years, the new CSIRO report said.

Likewise the level of the Barwon River, which supplies the city of Geelong, has fallen 34 percent against the forecast of a 28 percent drop. Ballarat's main water source, the Moorabool, has fallen 60 percent. It was forecast to fall 32 percent by 2055.


EDIT

http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/b8de8e630faf3631/id/a3623997bbb2b9d8/

[aquart]

1. THIS is the enemy to fear. Thirst.

Terrorism is a fleabite. This is disaster.

Or perhaps terrorism is the distraction while they buy up all the water resources...and imagine they will be able to defend their water rights with guns and laws. No wonder they need the right to torture.

[whistle]

2. Most of the continent of Australia is primarily a desert, is it not?

...Like the U.S. they have ignored studies and long range development and conservation plans like this oulined in a report by the Australian Government issued in 1994, in particlular Part III Section 3.3 :

<snip>
Australia's national report to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development - 1994
Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories, 1994
ISBN 0 642 20152 8


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Contents
Introduction
Part I - General Information
1.1 National sustainable development strategies and plans
1.2 Institutional mechanisms
1.3 Progress achieved
1.4 Economic and social impact of environmental measures
1.5 Improving social conditions and environmental sustainability
1.6 Problems and constraints
1.7 Making trade and environment policies mutually supportive
1.8 Capacity to meet Agenda 21 objectives:
1.9 Priorities for external assistance for the implementation of Agenda 21
1.10 Implementation of commitments related to finance.
1.11 Effectiveness of international organisations, including international financial institutions
Part II - Cross-Sectoral Issues
2.1 International cooperation to accelerate sustainable development in developing countries and related domestic policies - Chapter 2 of Agenda 21
2.2 Changing consumption patterns - Chapter 4 of Agenda 21
2.3 Financial resources and mechanisms - Chapter 33 of Agenda 21
2.4 Transfer of environmentally sound technology, cooperation and capacity building and national mechanisms and international cooperation for capacity building - Chapters 34 & 37 of Agenda 21
Part III - Sectoral Issues
3.1 Protection and promotion of human health - Chapter 6 of Agenda 21
3.2 Promoting sustainable human settlement development - Chapter 7 of Agenda 21
3.3 Protection of the quality and supply of freshwater resources: application of integrated approaches to the development, management and use of water resources - Chapter 18 of Agenda 21
3.4 Environmentally sound management of toxic chemicals and hazardous waste - Chapters 19, 20, 21 and 22 of Agenda 21

<more>

http://www.deh.gov.au/commitments/uncsd/publications/csd1994/index.html