Prof. Quentin Grafton, Professor of Economics, Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair in Water Economics and Transboundary Water Governance at the Crawford School at the Australian National University, will Address the National Press Club of Australia on "Retelling Australia’s Water Story - How do we build a more sustainable water future?".
How do we create a more sustainable water future? According to Quentin Grafton, Professor of Economics and Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair in Water Economics and Transboundary Water Governance, Australia needs a new approach to water management that moves away from crisis-driven cycles. He explores this in his new book Retelling Australia’s Water Story published by Monash this month.
For too long, Australians have been told that how we manage our water is best practice, but Grafton argues that the reality is different: many residents of regional and remote areas live with water that makes them sick, while diversions have disconnected our water systems and degraded our land and water.
Although climate change in Australia will primarily be experienced through ‘Too Much, Too Little and Too Dirty’ water, Grafton believes that there is much we can do to reduce damage and losses and support resilience to climate risks. This will involve pushing back against the hydrocracy of large-scale irrigation enterprises and developing a renewed National Water Initiative for starters.
Pathways to a better water future include leaving sufficient water in the landscape to sustain people and Country; respecting First Law, which sustained living waters for millennia; ensuring all communities, not just those with water rights, are actively involved in water decision-making; and prioritising the human right to water for all Australians.
As we head towards another summer of wild weather, it’s high time to call out the mistruths and the post-truths and retell Australia’s water story.
BIO:
Quentin Grafton is a highly published and cited Professor of Economics, Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair in Water Economics and Transboundary Water Governance (since 2010), and an Australian Laureate Fellow (since 2020) at the Australian National University. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, a Distinguished Fellow of the Australasian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, and the recipient of global and Australian honours and research awards, including the Eureka Science Prize for Water Research and Innovation. He founded the Global Water Forum, the world’s first blog exclusively devoted to water, and is its Executive Editor. In 2019 he established the Water Justice Hub, whose mission is to respond to water injustice and to promote both ‘voice’ and truth-telling in relation to water. As its Convenor, he has worked with diverse communities across Australia to collaboratively promote sustainability and water (including climate and environment) justice. His new book Retelling Australia’s Water Story is published this month by Monash as part of their ‘In the National Interest’ series.
