Drought & the Environment

CSIRO Plant Industry conducts research to promote profitable and sustainable agrifood, fibre and horticultural industries, develop new plant products and improve natural resource management.

CSIRO Land and Water is researching ways to better manage Australia's land and water resources, and improve the quality of our natural and built environments.

The latest issue of ECOS provides expert analysis of the draft report of the independent Garnaut Review on emissions trading and the Federal Government’s Green Paper, which outlines the differing proposals for a ‘carbon pollution reduction’ scheme.

The impact that human-generated and natural atmospheric particles (aerosols) could be having on Australia’s climate will be discussed next week in Canberra at a workshop involving some of the world’s leading experts in the area.

Australasia’s major livestock industries’ science and agribusiness conference – Horizons in Livestock Sciences – will be held in Christchurch, New Zealand, from 28-30 October 2008.

The Healthy Water Ecosystems Theme, as part of the Water for a Healthy Country Flagship, is working to increase knowledge and develop tools for the management, protection and restoration of Australia’s water ecosystems.

The Water for a Healthy Country Flagship has been working in the Great Barrier Reef catchment to improve water quality, wetland integrity and fisheries while enhancing agricultural productivity.

We examine the environmental impacts of irrigated and rain-fed agriculture to improve the quality of our land and water resources in rural regions.

Whether it's learning about  the daily behaviour of tuna or the changing circulation patterns of an entire ocean basin, marine observing technologies are essential for understanding our marine environment.

Mr Kevin Hennessy, Principal Researcher, explains why farmers and the Government have reacted with alarm to a collaborative report indicating that hot periods and low rainfall years that have occurred every 20 years, may become much more frequent. (5.36)

The CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems laboratory in Alice Springs conducts research that addresses regional futures, indigenous livelihoods, conservation planning and management, sustainable agricultural systems and knowledge management in arid and semi-arid rangelands.

CSIRO Black Mountain laboratories in Canberra have facilities servicing insect, plant, atmospheric, land and water science.

This article from Farming Ahead contains four stories on tiger prawn breeding, water resources in forests, models to enhance water planning and linking drought to El Nino. (1 page)

This brochure details how CSIRO is addressing the security and counter-terrorism issues facing Australia with dedicated research and development programs to protect Australia from terrorism, crime, invasive diseases and pests and threats to our civil infrastructure. (6 pages)

The oceans are the largest repository of heat on Earth, with a capacity 1 000 times greater than the atmosphere. This heat is distributed around the globe by ocean currents referred to as the ‘conveyor belt’. This circulation influences, and is influenced by, the climate.

Create an El Niño effect in your own kitchen with this experiment from CSIRO's Double Helix Science Club. At the same time, learn about global weather patterns.