The Murray-Darling Basin: A System in Crisis Part 2

A two-part series with relevance to geography, Environmental Studies, Sustainability, and Australian history. The central theme is water as a resource. The programs draw on a rich collection of visual sources to trace the complex interaction between nature and farming communities from early settlement to the present.In program one we looked at how the natural features of the Murray-Darling Basin have shaped farming and water management practices and how in turn those practices have changed the rivers and the land. In this second part of the series we look at some problems that are threatening the long-term productivity and sustainability of the region.PART 2 EXPLORES:salinty: major forms, causes, and impactsriver health: decline due to water diversion for irrigationalgal blooms: causes and impactdrought: impact on rivers and agricultureresponses to the above environmental problemswater management policies and strategieschanging irrigation methodsanalysis: factors affecting patterns of water use