How Australia plans to green its Outback desert in Becoming a Global produce exporter Australia is the most deserted inhabited area on Earth. With 70% of the area occupied by a desert, the country’s demographics tell that it’s not a heaven for agriculture. The unpredictable rainfall in central Australia is unique compared to other drylands. Instead of agricultural seasons, the transforming rhythms of arid Australia are characterized by erratic bursts of productivity that break up protracted droughts.
Australia is now setting its eyes on regreening the outback for developing agriculture. The country aims on captivating ever-growing Asian market. The population in Asian countries is increasing boundlessly and there is an immense need for more food supplies. Australia is planning on making Outback arable to cash upon this opportunity to become one of the most important produce exporter in the world. As of today, Australia is not doing bad at all as almost 70% of Australian agricultural production being exported and the country exports more agricultural products than its imports. Australian agricultural exports were worth nearly $49 billion in 2018-19. Australia's top agricultural export destinations are China, Japan, the US, and the Republic of Korea. However, China continues to be Australia's leading agricultural product importer.
Australians are smart as they have been making infrastructural plans to enhance their agriculture since 1930s. Now they are turning one of their biggest disadvantage into an advantage i.e., flooding. Parts of outback South Australia have been devastated by flooding. But Australia planned to have a reservoir that could save all the flood water inlands so that it can be used for irrigation. However, they already had one but not in its best shape.
The Great Artesian Basin is Australia's largest groundwater basin and one of the most significant underground water sources on the entire planet. In fact, for much of inland Australia, it is the sole trustworthy source of fresh Water. More than 80 settlements in Queensland depend on the Basin's precious Water, which covers 1,203,920 square kilometers of land or around 65% of its total area. The Basin has been depleting for a long time, and it is a crucial source of Water for the locals. The water flow is also accompanied by low pressure and flow rates. So, to revive the whole system, a framework of dams was designed to bring Water from the North-Eastern parts of the continent to the center.
The plan sounds overwhelmingly ambitious, and science proved it certainly was. The plan was not feasible because there was an error in the initial calculation of evaporation rates. Scientists suggested that the evaporation levels would be intense, and the sizes of reservoirs would not be big enough to induce rainfall, so the project cost was much more than its benefits. However, a small project of the same category proved viable when demand for agricultural products in Asia increased immensely. So, the policymakers decided to establish a network of tunnels that would irrigate the southern part of the continent.
However, this project came at the cost of environmental hazards and disturbed the natural water flow. The government of Queensland has taken other steps to revive the basin. The first step was to ensure efficient channels for water usage, which involves managing water flow by rehabilitating or replacing bores, and replacing open bore drains with pipes, tanks, and troughs. Since 1989, the Queensland Government has also invested $81 million in programs to cap pipe stock and domestic bores. The expected uptake of innovative agricultural technologies will lead to many changes in how farms are managed and allow agricultural yields to stabilize or increase without adverse environmental impact and the conversion of additional non-agricultural land.
If these approaches are successful and can mitigate the negative consequences of climate change, this should also result in improved conservation of biodiversity. Australia for the past couple of decades has been thriving in agriculture and to maintain this competitive advantage the Australian agricultural industry must continue to think strategically and exhibit strong leadership to exceed $100 billion by 2030. Australia has actually carved out its planned for 2030 for becoming a leading produce exporter. It is projected that Australia will see record sales this year in both agriculture and cattle sector. A record grain harvest was produced last year as a result of the improved seasonal circumstances, and a bumper harvest is anticipated this summer.
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21 авг 2024
