- Author Duvert, C., Lim, HS., Irvine, D.J., Bird, M., Bass, A.M., Tweed, S.O., Hutley, L.B., Munksgaard, N.C
- Type Report
- Documents
- Strategic policy development
- Water Security program
Summary
Streams and rivers of the Australian tropics have been the subject of substantial hydrological process research spanning the last 50 years. In this review, we highlight initial efforts to understand the hydrological response of forested ecosystems in the humid tropics, and how this has been more recently followed by work in savannas of the seasonal tropics. We describe recent findings from modelling and tracer studies and derive a framework of dominant hydrological processes for the region. We also detail five critical knowledge gaps that will require further attention with climate change and ongoing interest in development in the region. New hydrological insights for the region: We outline the diversity of runoff generation mechanisms that prevail in the region and emphasise the role of connected wetlands and floodplains in catchment response. We discuss the prominence of focused, episodic recharge in the replenishment of groundwater stores across the region. We also review how climate change and potential water resource development projects may alter the hydrology of northern Australian catchments. Future research should focus on improving our physical understanding of key hydrological processes, as well as anticipate the likely effects of development and climate change on these processes. Intensive and long-term studies of experimental observatories, which capture the diversity in landscapes and climates of the region, will help frame sustainable water development policies in northern Australia.
Published: Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S2214-5818(22)00207-5
Projects
Water Security for Northern Australia program: Co-design phase
The project brought together the collective expertise of three universities based in northern Australian – James Cook University, Charles Darwin University and Central Queensland University- which have recently formed the Northern Australia Universities Alliance (NAUA). The NAUA partners collaborated to undertake a program of stakeholder engagement and research needs analysis across four focal catchments (rereferred to as Nodes). The aim was to design, develop, and cost a cohesive and impactful 3.5-year research program that addresses the core priorities of stakeholders in these 4 focal catchments. The identified catchments are: Wider Tindal Basin, NT Douglas Daly and Roper River, NT Lower Fitzroy Basin/Gilbert River Catchment QLD Kimberley-Ord Irrigation Scheme, WA The research involved gaining a better understanding of the constraints to agricultural and water resource development. The project team engaged with key stakeholders and government agencies to identify priority issues for further research, which informed and the development of a suitable research plan. The research approach primarily consisted of desktop analysis, literature review, stakeholder engagement, and meetings. No new primary data was expected to be generated during the initial six- month phase in this proposal. However, the activities undertaken during this phase resulted in a coherent research program that directly responds to the priorities identified during the development phase.