The three-infrastructures framework and water risks in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

Williams, John; Colloff, Matthew J.; Grafton, R. Quentin; Khan, Shahbaz; Paydar, Zahra; Wyrwoll, Paul R.

doi:10.1080/13241583.2022.2151106

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…For example, a process begun in June 2023 in the Murray-Darling basin in Australia that offers a model of the early stages of such integration. The lead-up to the 2026 review of the basin plan review [56] has led to calls for risk assessment to include fuller consideration of assessment of compound risks [57][58][59] as well as proposals for a series of meetings to increase communication between stakeholders from different sectors, including water, energy and food, as well as, biodiversity, and Indigenous peoples [60][61][62].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bridging the gap between the water-energy-food nexus and compound risks

Leah Jones-Crank,

Lu,

Orlove

2024

Environ. Res. Lett.

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The water-energy-food (WEF) nexus is a concept and approach to examine the interactions of water, energy, and food resources. Similarly, compound risks are a set of risk types that consider multiple connected factors that amplify risks. While both concepts are promoted as approaches to move beyond silos and address complex problems in environmental governance, there has been limited exploration of their overlap. Our study integrates these two approaches for more holistic assessment and management of resources in the context of climate risks. We examine the connections between the WEF nexus and compound risk in two ways. First, we review the literature to identify previous conceptual connections between the WEF nexus and compound risks. Second, we review seven case studies with WEF nexus interactions and compound risks to identify how the two approaches might be considered in practice. Our results demonstrate that there is limited, though not non-existent, integration of the two concepts in both the theoretical literature and in the case studies. The four of the seven cases that do show some level of connection in practice demonstrate opportunities for greater integration in the future, such as leveraging the water sector as a bridge to address WEF nexus and compound risk challenges together.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bridging the gap between the water-energy-food nexus and compound risks

Leah Jones-Crank,

Lu,

Orlove

2024

Environ. Res. Lett.

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“…The separation between ground and surface water in policies has influenced how groundwater users see their pumping activities, as disconnected from any effect on stream flow (Megdal, 2018; Wölfle‐Hazard, 2022). Moreover, a significant obstacle hindering the limited acknowledgment of the effects of groundwater withdrawals is the time lag between the actual impacts of pumping on streamflow, and information gaps about its long‐term repercussions (Williams et al, 2023). During fieldwork, often in collaboration with watershed organizations, researchers have observed that social recognition of the exchange between surface and subsurface is often rooted in the profound sense of loss—or the opposite notion of resurrection—triggered by the disappearance or reappearance of specific fish species or riparian trees.…”

Section: Reclaiming the Hyporheic Zone For A Holistic Approach To Soc...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The social connectivity of subsurface flows: Towards a better integration of the vertical dimension in socio‐hydrosystem studies

Boyer,

Blanchon,

Schmitt

et al. 2023

WIREs Water

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This contribution points out that while the importance of hydrologic, geomorphic, ecological, temporal, and socio‐cultural connectivity in the functioning of hydrosystems has been acknowledged in three dimensions (longitudinal, lateral, and vertical), vertical connectivity has often been overlooked. Drawing on a multidisciplinary literature review, the authors aim to highlight the socio‐cultural connectivity of subsurface flows and aquifers as a crucial factor for socio‐hydrosystem understanding and management. The piece builds on emergent literature which underscores how groundwater, shallow groundwater, and the hyporheic zone are coproduced by nature and society through time. Furthermore, the review explores how verticality has become an important heuristic dimension at the intersection of the environmental and social sciences, and there has been a particular focus on the hyporheic zone to look at how notions of interstitiality and (in)visibility can be better integrated with socio‐hydrosystem science and management. Finally, the paper calls for further research to integrate the vertical dimension of hydrosystems into more comprehensive socio‐hydrological frameworks, which remain, at times, empirically and theoretically weak on questions of social power, even if they do incorporate aspects of political systems. Especially as societies' relationships to groundwater may be at the heart of climate change adaptation strategies, greater consideration of the social connectivity to subflows is a necessary direction for sustainable water resource management and scholarship.This article is categorized under: Human Water > Water Governance Science of Water > Hydrological Processes Science of Water > Water and Environmental Change

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“…It supports crop irrigation of cotton, rice, almonds, and grapes, plus pastures for grazing livestock [13], and contributes an estimated AUD 22 billion annually to Australia's economy [14]. The socioeconomic practice of irrigators drawing directly from rivers, and increasingly from floodplain harvesting, to supply large inland reservoirs has drastically altered seasonal waterflows critical for the environment, system health, and water quality [15,16]. In 2012, the contentious Murray-Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) was introduced, partly to promote more equitable water sharing across stakeholders, including the environment [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The socioeconomic practice of irrigators drawing directly from rivers, and increasingly from floodplain harvesting, to supply large inland reservoirs has drastically altered seasonal waterflows critical for the environment, system health, and water quality [15,16]. In 2012, the contentious Murray-Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) was introduced, partly to promote more equitable water sharing across stakeholders, including the environment [15]. This ambitious multiple-state, multiple agency initiatives failed to reach key water availability targets, resulting in the Australian Government extending the due date for states to achieve adequate environmental waterflows [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Aggressive local farming lobby groups secured politically backed water rights that reduced environmental watering to significantly less volume than water management experts recommended (using evidence-based targets that originally were agreed as required to achieve goals) [18]. Consequently, 95% of water consumed serviced the 3% of landmass used for irrigation, far insufficient for environmental and flow patterns conducive to water quality maintenance [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bloomin’ Ridiculous: Climate Change, Water Contamination and Algal Blooms in a Land Down Under

Crampton,

Ragusa

2023

Hydrology

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Climate and anthropogenic change, particularly agricultural runoff, increase blue-green algae/cyanobacteria blooms. This article researches cyanobacteria alert-level identification, management, and risk communication in Lake Hume, Australia. Two methods, document and content analysis, evidence contamination events and risk communication, reflect water governance and data management limitations. Results found that Lake Hume had amber or red alerts for only one week, December 2021–December 2022. This failed to prevent government tourism promotion of recreational usage, contravening water authority red alert advice. Lake-use restrictions lacked compliance enforcement. Events during amber alerts lacked risk communication to vulnerable populations (children). Lake Hume’s governance by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority restricted risk communication to one authority that reproduced generic advice in minimal outlets/time points. Geophysical signage failed to address diversity needs (language, literacy, age, and disabilities). No risk communication was found for residents with diseases exacerbated by aerosolization. Despite WHO promoting cyanotoxin investigation, Australian research is absent in international literature. Further, Lake Hume cyanobacteria produce potentially carcinogenic microcystein. This coexists with census data revealing cancer rates higher than the national average in a waterside town. The results demonstrate the need to incorporate robust public health risk assessments, communication, and management into water management and advocate international legislation changes based on evidence-based research to reduce blooms and prevent agricultural runoff.

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The three-infrastructures framework and water risks in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

Cited by 9 publications

References 67 publications

Bridging the gap between the water-energy-food nexus and compound risks

Bridging the gap between the water-energy-food nexus and compound risks

The social connectivity of subsurface flows: Towards a better integration of the vertical dimension in socio‐hydrosystem studies

Bloomin’ Ridiculous: Climate Change, Water Contamination and Algal Blooms in a Land Down Under

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