Blogs
Bilateral Pairings
By Jacalyn Adcock and Elena James
How does the assigned Blue Youth theme relate to your country?
Thirsty or Flooded: Changing Hydrological Systems is the assigned Blue Youth theme for Australia and India as part of the bilateral pairing activity.Hydrological systems encompass the occurrence, distribution, movement and properties of the waters of the earth.It involves the interaction of water with the physical and biological environment.In Australia, recent climatic events have triggered a need to accurately monitor and assess the availability of Australia’s water resources in order to deal with an ever-increasing demand for water.The majority of Australia has been in drought for a prolonged period of time, especially in Queensland as the drought has spread to a record 80% of the state, the largest area ever officially recognised as being in drought.
This has had detrimental effects on inland rural regions, livestock, crops, soil and has caused city food prices to rise.The water supply in Australia is good quality and generally easily accessible.However, it is growing increasingly vulnerable to droughts (as a result of climate change) and various regions have imposed water restrictions in order to conserve the population’s daily usage of water.As Australia is a first world country, we often take our water consumption for granted and remain in ignorance of its scarcity.It is imperative that we use our water resources sustainably and consider the ongoing hydrological issues that Australia is currently facing.
How does it relate to your country pairing?
Our bilateral pair is India, a developing country due to its high levels of poverty and poor sanitation.Currently, India is facing an extreme water crisis as its growing population is placing relentless strain on all of the country’s natural resources.Sewage and agricultural runoff have contaminated most of the clean water sources and it is estimated that 21% of infectious diseases contracted in India are related to unsafe water.The World Bank predicts that India’s aquifers will reach “critical condition” in approximately 20 years’ time and 114 million Indian citizens will face domestic, agricultural and industrial shortages when the demand for water will outstrip supply if action is not taken.Safe drinking water is diminishing and 97 million Indians do not have easy access to this minimal supply.
India’s climatic issues are similar to Australia’s, in that both countries are currently experiencing serious drought.Between the 18th and 20th century, India faced the loss of tens of millions of people as a result of drought and famine.Unfortunately, the management of this climatic epidemic has not improved as India currently has 330 million people who are currently suffering the hardships of drought.The cleanliness and lack of water that resides in India is one of the biggest challenges the country is facing today.
There are some ways in which India’s water crisis can be solved.For example, India could use their existing assets more effectively, distribute water to more people without waiting for new infrastructure to be built.Services need to be affordable and individual connections to the water network need to be established.As Australians, it is difficult for us to grasp the concept of living in a world with minimal water resources and unsanitary water.Therefore, we need to be the ones who raise awareness and take action to ensure that in the long term, more developing countries have easy access to this precious resource.
What is the current state of this BlueYouth theme?
Australia, situated in the Northern Hemisphere currently holds the lowest rainfall of all seven continents, excluding Antarctica.This demonstrates the BlueYouth theme of ‘Thirsty or Flooded’, with Australia of all seven continents being ‘Thirsty’.Australia’s large geographical size is occupied mostly by desert, with little parts of Australia with a temperate climate and moderately fertile soil.Around 85% of Australia is currently in drought and residents are forced to follow strict water restrictions.It is not subject to the movements of frigid polar air that sweep over the Northern Hemisphere continents during winter and thus there is not much contrast between the summer and winter months.We experience extensive droughts alongside considerable wet periods, with tropical cyclones, heat waves and frosts.Although drought may be considered the problem now, climate change in Australia is a highly contentious issue with the expectancy of more floods and bushfires around the country in places they have never been before by the end of the century.With rapid change occurring throughout the country, the current state of the BlueYouth theme is considered to be ‘Thirsty’, but due to our contribution to climate change in the near future, it is a high probability that our status may be changed to ‘Flooded’.
In what direction does this theme seem to be evolving in your country and how does this compare with how you would like it to evolve?
Currently the Australian Government appears to be making small changes in the contribution to our problem of water levels in Australia.Most states in Australia allow water restrictions, however some including the Northern Territory and Regional Tasmania do not.Currently Townsville sits at Queensland’s Level 3 water restrictions, constricting locals to how they wash and water their cars, lawns, windows and pools.As seen throughout the current stages of drought, water restrictions have become more necessary and water has begun being pumped from the Burdekin.These are just some of the enforcements happening in Australia and as the climate continues to change, the Government will begin to take more anticipated actions.
With more research being done into the effects on climate change and the processes and steps of which we will need to take to preserve our country, we need to ensure that our country’s water security is sustained.Our leaders must become aware of these issues and balance our economic and environmental factors throughout the country.As a teenager growing up in water restricted city, I can see the way in which our country is dramatically changing and believe that we need to think about our excessive consumption of natural resources to prevent Australia from sinking away- a result which will be on our hands.
What strategies to combat climate change and address these interrelated issues do you think are the best/worst for your country?
The hydrological issues that many countries are facing as a result of climate change need to be addressed not only individually, but as a community and a nation.There are many short term and long term strategies that can be adapted to provide more ecological ways for a population to preserve their water resources and use water sustainably.
It is paramount that all Australians become more energy efficient.Unnecessary energy consumption is a leading factor in climate change and is unfortunately fuelled by too many citizens.Simple alterations such as insulating homes, upgrading windows and planting shade trees and shrubs can all make a noticeable and positive difference.Switching to renewable power is also highly advisable- it is sustainable, can be easily maintained and produces no waste products, therefore having a minimal impact on the environment.Other general strategies include eating wisely (choosing locally sourced foods and minimising the amount of packaged/processed foods); trimming waste (composting kitchen scraps and recycling paper, plastic, metal and glass) and supporting climate change organisations such as the David Suzuki Foundation.While not all of these methods may be simple, it is important that sustainable household strategies are still implemented and used daily.
Due to Australia’s high amounts of farming land, a lot of water is put into taking care of our produce that travels long distances to end up being sold in our shops.Most farms over crop and produce too much food that simply goes to waste.If we can be more aware of these things, we can make a change.Another contributing factor to the issues we have on water security and climate change in Australia include our lack of knowledge on the issue, especially in the large rural areas of Australia.This can be solved by raising awareness, promoting the issue, delving into further research and producing guidelines that can be followed in order to help fight the rising issue of climate change in Australia.
For more information on how you can support the David Suzuki Foundation, please visit this website: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/
