The Vanishing Water of the Murray-Darling Basin

Australia is on the front lines of the climate crisis. In the Murray-Darling basin, a source of fresh water and food for millions of people, widespread droughts have turned rivers and lakes into dry troughs. Bloomberg’s Matthew Campbell traveled through some of the hardest-hit areas of the Murray-Darling to investigate how Australian businesses and government are responding to the crisis.
#Green #Climate #Australia
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[@cameron20020]

Let's not forget the water being sold to mining companies even when there's already a shortage...

[@kosakata8632]

Australia: Water where are you? Water: on vacation in Indonesia

[@budisoemantri2303]

So that's why Indonesia sometimes floods

[@Crabman_87]

Did almond milk just become the worst item for the environment on the vegan shopping list.

[@DieHaie07]

Jeremy Crab oat milk is the one to go for :)

[@kingjames4886]

avacados cause the same problems in other areas...

[@andrewwhite6586]

The farmers in the lower Darling River obviously aren't donating enough money to the Scotty From Marketing government.

[@4everskiing]

After 7 minutes into this film, I realize this has been a problem through out the world's history where water is being taken upstream without any regard to those down stream.

[@r3dp1ll]

they have a similar issue in Africa with the Nile

[@pluto8404]

The water would just flow into the ocean and become useless for every, best to extract it at its source.

[@pumpkin3536]

Our government is poor at water management. The current water ownership systems does not work.

[@r3dp1ll]

money ..

[@izdatsumcp]

Privatise the rivers, a business wouldn't let water go to waste.

[@graym22]

poor / insane water management by gov is the problem Not "climate change" or "climate crisis"

[@lukacspolgar5988]

It is hilarious that they are bashing almond producers for the water shortage How about showing how much water is needed for the same calorie amount of beef?

[@timecapclips7774]

Your a joke

[@techheadone]

1000 L water per Kg. of cow meat. 32 L of water per liter of Coca Cola (Because of sugar beets). A rapid change to Aeroponics is needed among other things.

[@JAM_2024]

Brendan Girdwood *you’re

[@philrabe910]

It's the same "nutty" argument in California. With our massive desert almond orchards AND Concentrated Animal Feed Enterprises.

[@izdatsumcp]

Water is scarce, like everything else. Therefore, it should go to the highest paying. This means it will be used more productively and that people will be incentivised to get into the market and supply more water.

[@MrNeutross]

The liberal government in Australia is largely at fault for the drying up of the rivers due to increased but unsustainable water usage quotas.

[@Marc-uw4lw]

No more almond milk for me 🙅🏽‍♂️

[@JAM_2024]

They usually add very little almonds when you buy a 2 litre carton.

[@gaslitworldf.melissab2897]

In the United States outwest and in the midwest, it's the same story. How is it that some of our ancient ancestors knew that certain types of soils and climates supported certain things? They didn't force nature to grow things that weren't there in the first place. Pumps and electricity seem to have made us over ambitious and greedy.

[@wertin200]

That is not historically accurate at all. Even 12 000 years ago we where cutting too many trees and destroying fertile soil. And before that we where over hunting many species.

[@suitinaute]

Not sure if anyone has stated this yet, but Sky News is Murdoch owned. It is effectively Fox News Australia.

[@Cyclops0000]

The solution: transition into newer farming methods (hydro & aeroponics) which use 80% less water, can be done close to the consumer, use barely any land for the same amount of produce and are not reliant on increasingly unpredictable weather. The food is also really tasty and it's much easier to control pests.

[@izdatsumcp]

Sure. If costs go up and you aren't able to keep up with them, you should go out of business. It's the way the system works.

[@StEaLtHMel0n]

40 Million rely on it for food? That's more than the population of Aus....

[@thechainsawbioethicist3878]

What is most important in this story is that for the last 55 years plus, 80% of the water in the Murray has been taken from the Snowy River System. As a result, the Snowy River runs at 10% of its historical capacity. The Snowy Mountains Scheme diverted 90% of its water and redistributed it into Murray for Irrigation. Historical truth is that the Murray is but an Ephemeral water way; that is, it is a river that regularly and naturally dries up - pre white man, and pre Murray Darling Basin Snowy Mountains Scheme - naturally ceases to flow. By nature the river, without any management, or Agricultural or horticulture, would naturally cease to flow into the ocean every second year. Historical records show this.

[@Bella1899]

wow that single almond farm pulls 21.384.000 (21.384 Million!)‬ Liters a day. Thats about 5.346.000‬ Gallons. In a year, assuming they run everyday, that's 7.783.776.000 (Yes, 7.7 BILLION) Liters!! How is this legal?

[@Bennie32831]

It is because we let fresh water run into the ocean quickly and don't slow the flow of any rivers creeks witch was way narrower and slower flowing if someone did the math on gallons that fall and gallons we let run into the ocean those 2 numbers are the difference between drought and abundant nature desalinates more than we need we just let it run away

[@simonboland]

Unless I’m mistaken the video doesn’t mention cotton. It was introduced to Australia early on but took off in more recent times (50 years ago). The farming makes use of large man made dams on properties as opposed to normal dams that we get out drinking water from. These hoard enough water that state governments are starting to introduce flood plain monitoring to gauge how much run off is being captured.

[@DilanPerera1]

How could 40 million people rely on food from the river when the entire population of Australia is only 25 million?

[@ReevansElectro]

Somehow, you missed the biggest environmental problem is the sheep and the horses and cows. Get rid of those and there will be a lot more vegetation for humanity.

[@AnkitSingh-gf1zb]

Animals are not problem... Slaughtering is the problem....

[@ReevansElectro]

@@AnkitSingh-gf1zb Help me understand your point. How does slaughtering animals cause environmental problems like excessive water use?

[@r3dp1ll]

@@AnkitSingh-gf1zb you don't make sense

[@TheCJUN]

Solar-powered desalination.

[@ReevansElectro]

Right! Just ignore the real problem of poor water usage and just make more. Forget about the impact of desalination on the oceans.

[@pocki892]

sure just pay us the 60% extra on our water bills every month and sign me up!

[@GerardoBuenrostro]

@@aelsi1337 You just don't get how desalination works do you? Search for brine and it's effect. It's the residue of desalination and is very harmful for the environment and the ecosystem.

[@carholic-sz3qv]

i agree 1000000000% with you

[@r3dp1ll]

@@GerardoBuenrostro if it's put back in the ocean, what's the problem ?

[@madoxxxx06]

That land is not dry it is overgrazed and seriously degraded.

[@FinancialShinanigan]

I recently rewatched The Day After Tomorrow so I'm pretty sure I know why.

[@dennyli9339]

East Australia has rain water flooding to the ocean.... Should make some experimentation of capturing that water ..

[@russellfippino2590]

Vote em out! If you're government is letting this happen , vote em out

[@JAM_2024]

How much food water and land is required for one cattle? How much pollution does one cattle create?

[@ammarpratama1207]

That's another one for apocalypse bingo

[@thechainsawbioethicist3878]

The Victorian Government tried hard to remove water from desperate farmers in the Murray Darling Basin by piping it south to Melbourne. Regardless of whether or not it was a malicious plot intended to undermine rural industry and sabotage the livelihood of irrigation-dependent food producers, that would have been the end result. Simply speaking, talk of taking water out of the Murray Darling Basin - which is a suffering terribly for lack of water - to send to Melbourne, so it's population can enjoy luxurious water consumption, highlights the ignorance of anyone who entertained this thought. Rural families count every drop that comes out of that tap. It's not about the cost of the water, but rather the scarcity of water. Without it there will be drastic consequences.

[@dlewis8405]

If something is unsustainable it will stop. Fish the oceans until the fishery collapses, grow almonds until the water dries up. Somehow people will figure out a way.

[@kalaranjimaheswaran2017]

To The Murray Darling River Basin Authority🌤 Dear Sir, Thank you for the info. There is a question in the considerations relevant to the planning and designing of the Murray Darling Basin Plan at the inception. The historical perspective to the food networks in the locations adjacent to the Murray Darling River system entail the early Bush food practices which prevailed among the collectives in the seasons corresponding to the months of the calendar year. The subsequent plans for agriculture in this river system are also positioned for the seasonality in the agricultural production in the instances of the seasonal cropping in the current land use practices in line with the conditions at land use planning and met for the efficacy and efficiency in the formulation of the current activities in the planning and designing. The concerns are to address the sensitivity of land use planning to the varied ecology of the specific locations and the realisation of the food networks once in the seasonal cropping and once in the bush food practices prevalent in the locations of the Murray Darling River. This appeal is for the consideration and address. Greetings Kalaranji Maheswaran ✍🌷💧🌏🐅

[@Censored.225]

The continent of Australia is ringed with an urban and suburban population. It is surrounded by ocean. There is no excuse for Government to ‘not’ establish desalination plants on the coast, everywhere. Piping water to the inland is not as difficult as they make out… The Government have reclaimed thousands of homes, to build motorways and highways in suburban Sydney… what is the problem in doing that for access to water? Instead Government will fund dumb fifteen minute city plans like ‘Clara’.

[@Bellakelpie]

Can we do a winter 2020 update please. Water, water everywhere.

[@id10t98]

All the water ever created is still on this planet. China is experiencing record floods right now.

[@shantishanti1949]

I want water in the M/Darling but sheep and beef farmers need to go too. It is NOT sustainable and no sort of life for any living thing out there. The slaughterhouse ( sorry “processing” Centre for the sensitive readers) must be a blessing to the sheep and cattle. What kind of meat is produced by eating desert grass and desert bush. Get real. The almonds are a small problem - but fracking drilling for gas is ruining and draining the aquifer and is totally insane. Also the commentator has the population very wrong 40 million !! Perhaps not a well read presentation on facts.

[@chulhogan1445]

40 million because of food exports

[@NurdRage777]

I know. It's so sad. They poison perfectly fine drinking water on a MASSIVE amount only for fossil fuels a/k/a money. But what they forgot is that all living things on this planet NEED clean drinking water without chemicals..

[@hubertim3758]

Its a way for people to make more money from taxing what water they leave us with

[@hubertim3758]

We do not live in a democracy

[@kayseek1248]

Stewart Lloyd Eumundi USC & Di Retchford Brisbane 40 million worldwide, it is counting people in other countries that rely on food imports.

[@mustafaibrahim487]

It's a whole world issue, everyone should be held accountable, specially those made it worse!

[@andrearamirez-iq1qf]

Scary

[@SC-je1ee]

15 years ago I could swim in my local lakes now their all salt ...there's water but it doesn't sit on top very much anymore

[@WeddingDJBusiness]

Two fold problem the main one is fresh water used for irrigation and for human consumption /sanitation etc. And evolving climates that can lead to dry conditions or alternatively floods. At some point, we need to access more efficiently the 97% of saline water in the oceans to solve these issues.

[@SharkWarrior35]

To be fair climate change wasn’t the main or the direct cause of the Australien fires, the government banned control fires, people burning forests on purpose and other issues. So you can say that climate was the only cause if it, it’s just silly to ignore the other facts/cherry pick facts that suit you the news

[@MrGaryGG48]

That sounds awfully familiar! It's the same environmentalist-dictated laws that have allowed so many firestorms to devastate California in the last few years. The underbrush can't be cleared without fines and lawsuits stopping everything. Then, the convenient target to blame is the utility companies. They're not without fault but the fuel cluttering the countryside is California's biggest environmental problem currently and the fires won't stop until that's resolved.

[@Dinkum_Aussie]

Yes so true, it’s the doogooders (greens) that come out of university and think they know everything because they read a book, that came up with the smart idea to stop controlled burning to reduce the amount of fuel. That didn’t work well did it, for thousands of year the Aboriginal people burned off the land regularly to rejuvenate the land. In fact some of our native trees need fire to reproduce and or germinate!

[@jedics1]

Its not a 'uniquely Australian story' at all, this is exactly what is happening in other parts of the world, water being sold to the highest bidder, as much as they need, environment and everybody else be damned. I live in Adelaide, commonly referred to being the driest state in the driest continent on earth and we are supplied by the Murray river...Things are not looking to bright are they!

[@tonyrobins2644]

Water management some get more than other 👍🤔

[@0xsocx0]

How do 40 million people rely on the Murray Darling if there are only 25 million in the country? Are they including the sheep and the cows?

[@yuridaman]

Yeah. They threw their credibility out the window with that.

[@aussieearthmoving392]

He means the people all around the world that eat the food that comes from the agriculture around the murray darling.

[@bagofdoom7693]

Can we get an update on how thr drought is going?

[@michaelrapson]

No drought now. Massive floods and all the rivers are overflowing. It's cyclical.

[@flynnwinstanley9793]

40 million people rely on the Murray darling for food??!!!! There aren't even 40 million people in the whole country

[@r3dp1ll]

exportations

[@thechainsawbioethicist3878]

Maybe talking exports? But yes, it's unclear?

[@deltaskyhawk]

So not climate change ... human mismanagement of resources the usual situation.

[@lachainone]

livestock needs more water than almond though.

[@r3dp1ll]

true. But the guys have been there for a while so I think they believe they have a right ..

[@angusbull1078]

Not true! In an arid grazing environment, your stocking capacity and subsequent water demand is entirely determined by available water. Self correcting mechanism in itself.

[@prison9865]

why everyone is worried about people adapting? How about wild animals?

[@jerrylambden7855]

“3 million people drink it every day while another 40 million rely on it for food” - do you mean 14 million? There’s only 25 million people in Australia. Unless you’re talking about exports but it isn’t clear from your statement.

[@karenmichellemaranonflor9905]

Most of the production in this area is exported

[@4everskiing]

Has there been a drought more than 10 years?

[@natel5223]

Vote vote vote vote let’s make a change

[@synecdoche8783]

aliens are taking the water

[@ayushjain3405]

The host seemed like Marc Cuban.

[@Arizona9001]

Has it gotten any better since this video?

[@lockemeup9842]

A new government has been elected which is looking at ensuring more water for downstream users. Along with flooding rains, the situation has improved temporarily.

[@wolfblitzer1981]

Ah let me guess is it because there is no rain? 😂

[@kushagrakhandelwal6303]

So you have tai Lopez as your anchor

[@nathanthomas8184]

Those mobile TOWERS have screwed with Father Time coz mother nature won't provide when all is out of balance, SANTA can fix it

[@hplis]

someone pulled the plug out.put it back dude.

[@AkiraBergman]

Keep digging and exporting coal mate. She'll be right.

[@robertknotoff3389]

A difficult fix will have to find a way at some point . No fresh water no economic stability.

[@samueldacricketer]

Dude, you keep talking about the environment heating up (and yes it certainly is) but we're not running out of water because of climate change lol. It is due to increased consumption and water dependent economic output.

[@fitrianhidayat]

Increased consumption, longer drought, less rainfall, maybe they're all contributing factors

[@samueldacricketer]

@@fitrianhidayat A slightly longer drought that seemingly takes out your entire water supply should be looked at a bit more closely for an explanatory variable that's in proportion.

[@TheatreofDreams33]

Very nice video. Such awareness needs to be created more and more worldwide.

[@twentysheds___5967]

FFS now I can't eat almonds

[@dushyantdhatti1505]

Cut down meat by 50%, it’s very ok to go vegetarian(not completely,completely recommended) rather than dying of thirst which is worse. Humanity survived till today by eating less meat than what people eat today and people are still surviving by being completely vegetarian 🌱

[@LauLessPariah]

Daddy was *Thirsty*

[@markdawson9094]

So hoarding water rights got nothing to do with it?

[@elizabethmears5816]

Dig big billabongs

[@SouthCountyDreaming]

Cloud seeding works in water stressed areas like the UAE. And the Australian water system seems quite efficient. Farms that produce economically worthwhile crops will get water. Seems far better than the California problem and this video frankly seems much ado about nothing.

[@vinese8386]

Just use 2 water buckets

[@marlon2947]

What do you think about animal livestock as water consumption driver? Might play a bigger role than almonds and accounts for water pollution as well.

[@user-zq8pp3ul2c]

As far as I know it's the Chinese owned cotton farms that have stolen most the up stream water to make the empty river bed. It's nothing to do with climate change

[@axem.8338]

Why the change in name?

[@Lifeissorich.]

They should've left it the same.

[@axem.8338]

@@Lifeissorich. yeah exactly!

[@shwankypants4541]

That’s a very interesting comment you make about political powers shifting considering the levels of corruption in its current leadership

[@michaelsolis1390]

More people means less water more polution and distruccion.

[@pluto8404]

Well then you should help reduce the population. You first.

[@lachlanp4198]

40 million rely on it for food... hold up the population is 25 million.

[@peaou]

I guess it’s for export

[@davidturner4076]

We export food mate...

[@Four-S]

I cant tell whether these comments are sarcastic or........

[@bradleypariah]

The Earth itself is not running out of water. Every ounce of water that has dried up in Australia is sitting in the ocean. They just need to distill ocean water. You don't even need coal to boil water for distillation. All you need are massive glass orbs, which would focus the sun's light, and boil water all day long during the hot months. It's not like they don't have enough dirt to make glass. Then the only challenge is pumping the ocean water to the boiling locations, and discarding the salt after distillation. The pumps could run on solar power, since it's so damn hot and sunny there. Pump the desalinized water in the head of the river. If Americans can afford to run a pipeline for oil, I'm sure there's enough budget for Australians to pump water to save their own lives. Then, to cut down on runaway heat, they should plant invasive plant life that thrives on their dry climate, which will give their dirt some shade, which would reduce their average daily temps. The end. I'm sure I'm over simplifying things, but it's not like they have a lot of other options.

[@dennis-qu7bs]

Condensation farms

[@TheBest-uu6wb]

Australia's population is barely 30 million , then how can 40 million rely on this river . Try to depict the truth .

[@AlanPeery]

It's simple, they export a lot of food to other countries. Those buyers still depend on it, even if they are far away.

[@martins4555]

Isn't Australia using mostly coal energy?

[@mr.invisible5874]

Don’t farm areas that don’t have water ...easy

[@aryankaul9261]

How are 40 Million people relying on the shown rivers if the population of Australia just 26 Million? I am confused!

[@unconnected]

You understand that counties export things right?

[@daniellow1168]

Vegans cant loose the almond milk

[@adiposerex5150]

Australia is drying up because Earth is becoming a Mars. It is inevitable.

[@vthilton]

Save Our Planet

[@jrusselison]

Lots of commenters know absolutely nothing about ecological histories yet talk like experts. 😀

[@texxstalker]

The Chinese exported it... 😃

[@philrabe910]

3:50 I do not EVEN have to ask where Australia is Exporting all of it's water to in the form of Almonds. China is California's largest almond consumer as well.

[@joeblack4436]

Governments are not factoring the long term cost into equations like this "allocate water to the highest economic return". A few dollar bills tend to easily blind them to future concerns. And a child could come up with the arguments of idiots like Morrison. It's all just positions of expedience and convenience. Him and his ilk will say, and even choose to believe, whatever they need to keep the bills flying in for themselves and their peers.

[@robertcallaghan4029]

big cotton first little people last, money talks voters walk

[@angusbull1078]

It’s not warming, it’s getting cooler, and noticeably so! None of the warmist alarmism has transpired! Long term data has indicated gradual cooling, with a resultant reduction in rainfall, globally. We are getting lower lows, more late frosts. If this guy could go and revisit this region now, would see a different environment with water in river. Droughts have always been part of that region, although any measures to increase inflow to Darling should be considered.

[@doofer80]

Seriously? Cooling? Seasonally, yes its winter therefore cooler... Overall though, Australia recorded multiple hottest average temperature records this past summer, 2 of which were within 10 days of each other. Oh, and more than half the nation burnt In the largest bushfire/wildfire event in recorded history. The problem is far from a pure climate one I know but your comment makes little sense to me.

[@kingjames4886]

how is there less water to go around when the glaciers are constantly melting and the ocean rising? seems like more water to me... people just need to manage and transport it better.

[@ZacharyRodriguez]

You're conflating salt water with fresh water availability. Melting glaciers aren't going to help anything if it just mixes with salt water.

[@wiseguyisyy4u]

Pump from QLD

[@rusitoexplorador]

Lol I love how Aussies say they don't have water when they are surrounded by it

[@davenz000]

You must be American and missed out on those science lessons at school.

[@Kolosso_369]

@@davenz000 they must of lied to you aussie's There's plenty of water under the mantle....

[@Dinkum_Aussie]

Water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink! 😜

[@currentahhaccount2]

But he water around us is not suitable for drinking

[@AdrianDucao]

that's caused by shai hulud

[@doughansen5521]

The population of Australia is increasing rapidly due to immigration. putting a strain on resources

[@jaybloggs8699]

Bcoz the fed/states using new migrants to prop up the budgets! They just can't get enough easy $$ out of stamp duty on housing.. and immigration fees.

[@erich84502a]

Global cooling

[@angusbull1078]

Long term data has been indicating that for longer than the warming myth. Rainfall is declining, as consequence.

[@AA-uu9ik]

If there’s not enough to go around, why should some have preferential water rights when they can’t produce the same return on investment that others can? Presumably the almond farm makes more money per litre than the cattle farmer. The argument that 6L of water is required for one almond is nonsensical because the amount of water required to produce beef is also high and has other negative environmental effects. This piece seems to conflate water usage rights with climate change and portrays the almond farming company as the antagonist and the beef farmer as the protagonist, when in reality, the animal farmer’s business is less profitable, which is no one else’s fault.

[@ZacharyRodriguez]

You're not making any sense. If it's stated that 6L of water is required for one almond, it's either true or false. If beef is just as bad or worse, it doesn't change how much water is required for one almond, nor does it change the effects of almond farming on water usage, positive or negative. You'd be better off presenting information that contradicts the assertion that water management policies presented in the video don't address unsustainable water consumption.

[@AA-uu9ik]

Zachary Rodriguez 😂

[@BradTN_]

Oh damn I guess the last bit of water in Australia is in my fridge

[@kaushikmukherjee8615]

At present situation I think may be chaina not to involve fair in the forest of Australia.?

[@tiesbokhoven123]

How can 40m people rely on those rivers for food? Australia has only 24m inhabitants.

[@unconnected]

Because thousands of years ago we invented boats, and someone had the shocking idea of using those boats to take some of the food and export it to other places. Crazy and unthinkable I know

[@epac2816]

People should volunteer 50% off their paycheck to change the weather. Even better the government should impose a carbon tax on everyone for the air they consume. A micro chip could monitor and track this quite easliy.