Water

Water scarcity is a persistent issue in Australia given the relatively dry and variable climate and now the emergence of climate change. Water is a valuable commodity particularly within agriculture, which accounts for around three quarters of total use. Water is also of value to other industries, households and increasingly environmental agencies.

Australia has a number of well-developed water markets, where water rights are freely traded between end users. Water markets allow Australia’s scarce water resources to be efficiently allocated between competing uses in response to fluctuations in supply and demand.

A key focus of ABARES water research is the collection and analysis of water markets data in the southern Murray-Darling Basin, including the Water Market Outlook. ABARES also undertakes modelling and analysis on issues of water policy, especially in regards to the implementation of the Murray Darling Basin Plan. In addition, ABARES provides analysis of the irrigated agriculture industry, drawing on data from ABARES survey of irrigation farms in the Murray Darling Basin.

A summary of ABARES research outputs on water is provided below. For access to all ABARES past water research, visit the ABARES publications library.