Abstract

In order to secure water for future generations, Australian governments, industries, and communities will want to understand current and future water availability and explore ways of meeting the demands on these water supplies. They will want to better understand how river systems and groundwater systems respond to a changing climate and to increasing water use, and they will want to be confident that water use will not unduly harm future water supplies through pollution, over-use or environmental degradation. Improvements in ecological understanding, and in understanding the human health and other implications of contaminants in water, can provide vital help in developing water plans and provide safe and reliable water for all uses, including environmental water.