Drought in Australia is defined as rainfall over a three month period being in the lowest decile of what has been recorded for that region in the past.^[1] This definition takes into account that drought is a relative term and rainfall deficiencies need to be compared to typical rainfall patterns including seasonal variations. Specifically drought in Australia is defined in relation to a rainfall deficiency of pastoral leases and is determined by decile analysis applied to a certain area.^[2] Australian farms need this missing rainfall for agriculture. In descriptive statistics, a decile is any of the 9 values that divide the sorted data into 10 equal parts, so that each part represents 1/10th of the sample or population. ... Fields outside Benambra, Victoria suffering from drought conditions A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. ... Pastoral Leases are agreements under the Commonwealth of Australia that allow for the use of Crown land by farmers, etc. ...

Historical climatic records are now sufficiently reliable to profile climate variability taking into account expectations for regions.^[3] State Governments are responsible for declaring a region drought affected and the declaration will take into account factors other than rainfall.^[1] The Parliaments of the Australian states and territories are legislative bodies within the federal framework of the Commonwealth of Australia. ...

Drought-affected fields in the Victorian countryside

Some members of the Australian environmental movement, notably the organisation Sustainable Population Australia, believe that as the driest inhabited continent, Australia cannot continue to sustain its current rate of population growth without becoming overpopulated. SPA also argues that climate change will lead to a deterioration of natural ecosystems through increased temperatures, extreme weather events and less rainfall in the southern part of the continent, thus reducing its capacity to sustain a large population even further.[1] In response to this, there are several movements and campaigns around the country which are advocating for environmental action. One such campaign is "The Big Switch", claimed as Australia's largest community climate change campaign. ^[4] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2250x924, 586 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Drought ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2250x924, 586 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Drought ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Area 237,629 km² (6th)  - Land 227,416 km²  - Water 10,213 km² (4. ... The environmental movement (a term that sometimes includes the conservation and green movements) is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement. ... Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) is an Australian conservation organisation, founded in 1988, by people who felt that the issue of human population numbers was overlooked, or regarded as too contentious, by many of those striving to preserve Australias ecological heritage. ... Map of countries by population density (See List of countries by population density. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400,000 years For current global climate change, see Global warming. ...

The UK-based Optimum Population Trust supports the view that Australia is overpopulated, and believes that to maintain the current standard of living in Australia, the optimum population is 10 million (rather than the present 20.86 million), or 21 million with a reduced standard of living.[2] The Optimum Population Trust is a registered charity, small think tank and campaign group concerned with the impact of population growth on the natural environment. ... The standard of living refers to the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people and the way these services and goods are distributed within a population. ...

General characteristics

Much of Australia receives typically low rainfall. The resulting dryness of the Australian continent is comparatively very high. Climate map of Australia, based on Köppen classification. ...

Australian droughts are typically characterized by a water crisis in country towns, which often threatens millions of dollars worth of crops and limits drinking water for stock. Water supply networks can be affected as can power stations that require a supply of fresh water. Authorities and individuals are forced to find new sources of water and implement rationing schemes of dwindling water supplies when precipitation fails to fill reservoirs. The Australian federal Government provides drought assistance in exceptional circumstances through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.^[5] Deforestation of the Madagascar Highland Plateau has led to extensive siltation and unstable flows of western rivers. ... Drinking water Mineral Water Drinking water is water that is intended to be ingested by humans. ... A water supply network is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components, including: the watershed or geographic area that collects the water, see water purification - sources of drinking water; a raw (untreated) water reservoir (above or below ground) where the water gathers, such as a lake, a river, or... Oil power plant in Iraq A power station (also referred to as generating station or power plant) is a facility for the generation of electric power. ... ... The Commonwealth of Australia is a constitutional monarchy, a federation, and a parliamentary democracy. ... The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is an branch of the Australian Federal government. ...

Rainwater harvesting efforts gain favour, water pressure reductions occur and outdoor water-use restrictions are typically applied. In recent years most large cities have had water restrictions implemented to save water, as drought has reduced the inflow to dams which were built for water supply. These restrictions are especially severe in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. View of a Johad at village Thathawata View of a stepwell at Fatehpur,Shekhawati. ... Level 5 water restrictions in Goulburn in 2006. ... Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie retiring as of 13. ... “VIC” redirects here. ... “NSW” redirects here. ... Capital Adelaide Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 11  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $59,819 (5th)  - Product per capita  $38,838/person (7th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  1,558,200 (5th)  - Density  1. ...

Drought in the 21st century

Around 2000 Australia was prone to wet weather brought on by La Niña influenced weather patterns. El Niño is also the nickname of Sergio García. ...

Then from 2003 a long, severe drought, again the worst on record^[6] was experienced in many parts of Australia. In 2006 it was declared a 1000-year drought event.^[7] droughts have occur all over the world

As of November 2006, the late-winter to mid-spring rainfalls had failed. The average rainfall in the state of South Australia was the lowest since 1900. Across Victoria and the Murray-Darling Basin the season was the second driest since 1900. New South Wales' rainfall was boosted by above normal falls along the north coast of the state, however the state average rainfall for the season is the third driest since 1900. The situation has been worsened by temperatures being the highest on record since the 1950s.^[8][9] See also: 1899 in Australia, other events in 1900, 1901 in Australia, Timeline of Australian history. ... Semi-arid grazing country near Burra Creek, South Australia The Murray-Darling Basin being 3430km long, drains one-seventh of the Australian land mass and is currently by far the most significant agricultural area in Australia. ... The North Coast refers to the region adjoining the Pacific Ocean in the north-eastern part of the State of New South Wales, Australia. ...

Responses during 2006

The current drought has changed the way Australia treats its water resources. Because of the long-term effects of the drought now showing, many state governments are attempting to "drought-proof" their states with more permanent solutions. Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful to humans. ... The states and territories of Australia make up the Commonwealth of Australia under a federal system of government. ...

Australia in the past hundred years has relied solely on water from dams for agriculture and consumption. Now schemes like grey-water water-recycling, government rebates for home-owners to install water tanks, and tougher restrictions on industries have come into effect. Greywater, sometimes spelled graywater, grey water or gray water and also known as sullage, is non-industrial wastewater generated from domestic processes such as washing dishes, laundry and bathing. ... Note: This article title may be easily confused with rabbet A rebate is a type of sales promotion used by marketers, primarily as incentives or supplements to product sales. ... Chemical, Elevated, Hydropneumatic and Ground Storage Water Tanks shown together in one installation. ...

The citizens of Toowoomba have voted on, and rejected, a referendum on using recycled sewerage water. Brisbane is set to be supplied via larger dams, a pipeline and possibly also recycling. A desalination project has been initiated on the Gold Coast, Queensland, but plans for a similar project in Sydney were halted after public opposition and the discovery of underground aquifers. In November 2006 Perth completed a seawater desalination plant that will supply the city with 17% of its needs.^[10] Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... “Gold Coast” redirects here. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4. ... An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, silt, or clay) from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. ... The Perth skyline viewed from the Swan River This article is about the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia. ... Shevchenko BN350 desalination unit situated on the shore of the Caspian Sea. ...

Most Australian mainland capital cities are facing a major water crisis with less than 50% of water storages remaining. For example, Melbourne has had rain up to 90% below the average for September and October 2006, compounding the problem of extremely low rainfall from the preceding winter months.^{[citation needed]} Melbourne has been experiencing high temperatures throughout October causing the evaporation of water in dams and reservoirs, which has resulted in their levels falling by around 0.1% a day. As a result of all these factors Melbourne is now on tighter water restrictions. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... An outdoor water-use restriction is a ban or other lesser restrictions put into effect that restricts the outdoor use of water supplies. ...

Agricultural production has been affected. Australia's cotton production has dropped, with the smallest area planted in 20 years, a 66% reduction compared to five years ago (considered a "normal" year). The crop has been half its usual size for three of the past five years. Water use by the industry fell by 37% between 2000/01 and 2004/05, due mainly to drought.^[11] In the order of 20 cotton communities and 10,000 people directly employed by the cotton industry are impacted by the drought. The main areas affected are in New South Wales: Menindee where the area under production has reduced by 100%, Bourke has reduced the area under production by 99%, Walgett has reduced the area under production by 95%, the Macquarie River has reduced the area under production by 74% and the Gwydir River has reduced the area under production by 60%. In Queensland the worse affected areas are Biloela which has reduced the area under production by 100%, at Dirranbandi there has been a 91% reduction, Central Highlands has reduced the area under production by 82% and Darling Downs has reduced the area under production by 78%. Bourke has only had adequate water for one cotton crop in the last five years.^[12] Cotton ready for harvest. ... Centre pivot irrigation near Euberta in the Riverina region of New South Wales Irrigation in Australia is a widespread practice to supplement low rainfall levels in Australia with water from other sources to assist in the production of crops or pasture. ... Menindee is a small town in the far west of New South Wales, Australia. ... Location of Bourke in New South Wales (red) Bourke is a town and Local Government Area in the north of New South Wales, Australia. ... Walgett is a town of approximately 2700 persons and a Local Government Area in north-central New South Wales, Australia. ... The Macquarie River is one of the main inland rivers in New South Wales. ... The Gwydir River is a large river in northern New South Wales. ... Biloela is a rural town in Central Queensland, Australia. ... Dirranbandi is a town of approximately 300 persons in south-western Queensland, Australia. ... Central Queensland is an ambigious geographical division of Queensland (a state in Australia) that centers on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn. ... The Darling Downs is a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland, Australia. ...

Predictions and observations for 2007

In early 2007, senior weather forecasters predicted that the drought would ease along the east coast with a return to average rainfall from late February 2007. Forecasters believed that the El Niño effect that had been rampant during 2006 and 2007 had ended. However very little rain has fallen since then and April 2007 is set to become the second driest on record. Once again above average temperatures have been recorded, particularly in the country's south east. There is no indication of a return to above average or average rainfall in the near future.

Prime Minister John Howard announced on 19 April 2007 that unless substantial rain occurs in the next six weeks no water will be allocated to irrigators in the Murray-Darling basin for the coming year. The result of this would be "catastrophic" for farmers and the economy and the price of food would significantly rise, contributing to inflation. Electricity shortages are also likely if the Snowy Mountains Scheme is forced to shut down its hydroelectric generators.^[13] The Prime Minister has urged Australians to "pray for rain".^[14]. Heavy rainfall in June and July, particularly in coastal regions of New South Wales and in Victoria's Gippsland region, together with tentative forecasts of a La Niña event, brought hope that the drought may have ended. John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian politician and the 25th Prime Minister of Australia. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Talbingo Dam The Snowy Mountains Scheme is a massive water diversion, storage and hydro-electric scheme, which takes water from the eastern slopes of the Australian Alps (part of the Great Dividing Range) in eastern Victoria and southern New South Wales through pipes, tunnels and aqueducts into a series of... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... El Niño is also the nickname of Sergio García. ...

See also

• Deserts of Australia
• Extreme weather
• List of reservoirs and dams in Australia
• Water restrictions in Australia

Location of deserts in Australia Deserts of Australia cover a large portion of the land in Australia. ... Trends in natural disasters, Pascal Peduzzi (2004) Is climate change increasing the frequency of hazardous events? Environment Times UNEP/GRID-Arendal Extreme weather includes weather phenomena that are at the extremes of the historical distribution, especially severe or unseasonal weather. ... Reservoirs and dams in Australia is a link page for any reservoir or dam in Australia. ... Level 5 water restrictions in Goulburn in 2006. ...

References

The Bureau of Meteorology is an Executive Agency of the Australian Government responsible for providing weather services to Australia and surrounding areas. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is an branch of the Australian Federal government. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is an branch of the Australian Federal government. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Australian Broadcasting Corporation or ABC is Australias national non-profit public broadcaster. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... For the officer of arms, see New Zealand Herald Extraordinary. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Bureau of Meteorology is an Executive Agency of the Australian Government responsible for providing weather services to Australia and surrounding areas. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... This article is about the day. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... This article is about the day. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

External links

• Drought in Australia - Feature from Daily Telegraph
• The Big Switch - Australia's largest community climate change campaign