Water Policy

With a particular focus on the Murray Darling Basin, we are exploring issues such as irrigation, environmental vs agricultural water use, and the design and operation of water markets.

Further, we are applying learnings from Australia and the Murray Darling Basin to assist in the design and governance of water management systems in other countries. We are conducting research specifically to understand:

Farmer behaviour in water markets.
Society’s benefit from water reallocation.
Environmental, social, cultural and agricultural water values.

Active projects

New Perspectives on Sharing Water

Prof. Young hopes that this water sharing paper will inspire a new dialogue and start a search for robust water-sharing arrangements that will withstand the test of time. In some areas, a few policy tweaks may be all that is necessary. In other areas, a major rethink may be necessary.

Efficient participatory irrigation institutions to support productive and sustainable agriculture in South Asia

This project focusses on irrigation in Bihar and Assam, east India, and Sindh and Punjab provinces, Pakistan. The project aims to improve the analytical skills and understanding of policy makers and irrigation officials, specifically as they relate to PIM/IMT.

Optimising the national benefits from restoring environmental flows

This research project aims to use such evidence to examine how the national benefits from returning water to the environment in Australia’s MDB could be optimised.

GFAR mobile experimental laboratory

A major focus for this mobile lab is on decision-making in local contexts.

Building water governance capacity in the EU

he purpose of this project is to fortify a continuing dialogue around water issues between the EU and Australia.

Improving groundwater allocation and use in the western USA

Key insights include the importance of attending to the development of institutional arrangements that enable individual users to trade water.

Climate sharing and energy security

This project is searching for ways to bring investment confidence back to the electricity sector.

Minimising transaction costs in Murray–Darling Basin water reform

The objective is to identify the magnitude of costs associated with different categories, and their direction over time, such that insights for other jurisdictions and external parties may be formed.

Increasing irrigation water productivity in Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe through on-farm monitoring, adaptive management and Agricultural Innovation Platforms

This project is about increasing irrigation water productivity and changing farmer behaviour in three south-eastern African countries.

Completed projects

Transitioning to a water secure future in the Basin

This study aims to identify and analyse the impediments in water markets in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB).

Adapting for an uncertain future: farmer behaviour in water-stressed basins

This project aims to develop a greater understanding of farm behaviour and adaptation to water stress, to allow a new approach to water policy in a range of water catchments.