LAND AND WATER MANAGEMENT

1. The Nature of the Issue

• The Aborigines did little damage to land and water supplies as they lived in harmony with
nature
• They did use fire as a management tool for hunting which altered the natural vegetation,
however fire tolerant species of plants evolved that were adapted to repeated burning
• Aboriginal people also didn’t farm the land, instead moving from place to place hunting
and gathering as the seasons permitted, therefore the soil was not damaged
• Due to the small population, these practices were sustainable

• The arrival of Europeans meant that the land was cleared and degraded
• This was due to their lack of knowledge of Australian environment (infertile soils and
unreliable rainfall) along with the belief that all resources were there to be used and exploited
• This in turn had a negative effect on natural water supplies

• Land was cleared for farming, urban development, transport, infrastructure and recreation
• In rural areas, the removal of the natural vegetation cover has led to major issues of soil
erosion and salinity

• The increase in population has meant an increase in demand for fresh water supplies for
domestic, industrial and rural use
• A small amount of water is also used for the production of Hydro Electric Power, eg.
Snowy Mountains Scheme

• Climate change is also having a major impact on land and water resources at present
• Droughts are increasing, rivers and dams are drying up and the rural economy is suffering
• This is the case in such areas as Australia’s most productive farming area, the Murray-
Darling Basin
• Cities and towns also face water restrictions

2. Geographical Processes associated with Land and Water Management

G.P. AFFECTING LAND MANAGEMENT (LAND DEGRADATION PROCESSES)
a) Soil Erosion
• Soil can be eroded by wind and running water once the vegetation has been cleared or
overgrazed
• This is a particular problem on sloping land such as the Central Tablelands of NSW and
the Mallee country of Victoria
• Farmland is lost, river water becomes muddy and rivers and dams can silt up
• Evidence for this is wind erosion and water erosion (sheet erosion, rill erosion and
gullying)

• Wind erosion occurs when loose soil, unprotected by vegetation is blown away by the
wind
• Areas that are most affected by wind erosion in Australia are those where soils are sandy
and rainfall is low
• This can cause sever dust storms
• In Australia, wind erosion is common in inland areas where the soil is dry and sandy,
when the protective cover of vegetation has been removed by growing crops or overgrazing
animals
 • Water Erosion is a process which involves the removal of soil particles by heavy rainfall
or running water
• It is most severe on sloping land where cropping or overgrazing animals has left soil
unprotected by vegetation and exposed to the full force of raindrops
• Sheet erosion is when a sheet of water moves a “sheet of soil” down a slope, removing
topsoil
• Rills are shallow crevices that are eroded by running water over the land, usually forming
on steeper slopes and often linking to form gullies which are further downhill
• Gullies are much deeper, and result when a large amount of soil is removed by running
water over a longer period of time
• The eroded material eventually deposits elsewhere, usually at the bottom of a valley
• Some is washed into river systems where it clogs channels and increases the turbidity of
the water
• Silt may also build up in dams, shortening their useful life
• In the end most of the eroded material enters the sea

b) Salinity
• In dry climates such as Australia, evaporation rates are high, so salts will remain in the
soils once the water in the soil has been lost
• Salty soils are therefore “natural” in this country
• However, salinity is a process whereby the soils and the water supplies become more salty
than they should be, so plants will not grow in the salty soil and water supplies become unfit for
human and animal use
• There are two types of salinity, dryland salinity and wetland/irrigation salinity

• Dryland salinity occurs when land cleared for farming on sloping land alters the natural
water balance in the catchment
• The water table is kept low because the trees act as “pumps” by means of transpiration
with the deep tree roots drawing up water
• However, when the trees are cleared, the water table rises and draws the salts in the soil
up to the surface with it, because grazing land and crops have lower transpiration rates than trees
due to their shallow roots
• Water then evaporates on the soil surface and leaves salts behind
• Sometimes this salty water can emerge at the foot of the slope as a wet, salty “seep” or as
a dry “scald” where the water has evaporated leaving the salts behind on the surface
• Plants will not grow in these salty soils, affecting large areas of the catchment,
particularly the landowners in the lower areas

• Wetland salinity is when too much irrigation water is put on the land, causing the water
table to rise and draw salts in the soil up with it
• This salt can then be brought to the surface or enter creeks which then become very salty
• Plants will not grow in salty soils and salty creek water will not be suitable for irrigation
• Various types of irrigation include flood irrigation (rice paddies), furrow irrigation
(orchards), spray irrigation and trickle irrigation

G.P. AFFECTING WATER MANAGEMENT

a) Water Shortages are caused by:
• The very arid nature of the continent, one third being desert with less than 200mm of
rainfall per year
 • The unreliability of the rainfall with frequent droughts which tend to be caused by El
Nino events
• Climate change, caused by the increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere- In Australia temperatures have been warming which has led to increased incidence
of droughts in areas that once had moderately reliable rainfall, while rivers and dams are drying
up which is affecting the ability of farmers to grow crops or use water for irrigation
• The overuse of water resources, eg. for irrigation, especially in the MD Basin, with crops
like rice and cotton using large amounts of water

b) Water Quality is declining in many areas due to:

• Increasing salinity in irrigated areas, eg. along the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers
• Blue green algal blooms, eg. along the Darling river
• Untreated factory or sewage effluent reaching the rivers and ocean

3. The Impacts of Land and Water Issues

a) For the natural environment
• Soil quality is reduced
• Plants are unable to grow and trees die
• Loss of natural vegetation means loss of habitats and biodiversity
• Water quality is reduced with increased cloudiness and salinity
• River ecosystems will suffer
b) For people
• Food and industrial crop production declines
• Resources like land, timber and vegetation for grazing are reduced
• Water sources are polluted
• Jobs are lost and the rural economy suffers
• Rural towns decline as people leave the country and go to the towns
• Prices of food and resources increase for all
• Exports of the country decline
• The costs of repairing the land and water are very high for local communities and
governments

4. The Perception of the Different Groups about Land and Water Issues
a) The Local Aboriginal Group
• Wants the land to be restored to the way it was
• Sustainability and care for the land is important
b) The Farmers
• Affects their business, their family and whole livelihood
• Want best and maximum use of land and water available
c) The Local Community
• Need basic water supply
• Want sustainability
d) The Conservationists
• Concerned about conserving the environment while still making use of it
• Want to maintain natural environment
e) The State and Federal Governments
• Regulate and control water issues
• Want political votes
 • Promote awareness of the issue

5. How Individuals, Groups and Governments Respond to the Issue

• People are much more aware now of this issue
• Land and water management requires and “integrated approach”
• All stakeholders must be involved in trying to address the issue, tackling it in a number of
different ways
a) Farmers
• Prevent soil erosion by minimising the length of time that soil is left bare, maintaining
plant cover by reducing stocking rates, and planting trees to form windbreaks
• Prevent water pollution on farms by taking care when applying fertilisers, pesticides and
weedicides, protecting the vegetation of the stream’s river bank to create a buffer zone, and
ploughing across slopes rather than down them
• Prevent overuse of irrigation water

b) Individuals
• Wash cars on the lawn not street
• Never pour oil, paint or other toxic substances down stormwater drains
• Use lawn fertilisers carefully

c) Community Groups
• Landcare Program promotes the efficient and sustainable management of the country’s
natural resources for the benefit of all, providing funding for community based Landcare groups
and the running of land-management courses for landholders
• Greening Australia works to achieve sustainable land management by planting trees and
conserving existing vegetation
• National Water Watch Program monitors water quality in our waterways, aiming to foster
environmental awareness
• Bushcare groups work for the protection and rehabilitation of remnant bushland

d) State and Federal Governments

• Provided funds for the repair of many areas suffering from salinity, including the
pumping of salty underground water for removal to evaporation ponds they have built

6. Issues of Sustainability, Social Justice and Equity

• Land and water management should contribute to a better quality of life for all people not
just the few
• Resources should be maintained to the highest possible standard
• All people should have access to these resources on an equitable basis
• The right of future generations to inherit a world capable of providing a level of well-
being no less than that experienced by the current generation