Salinity – the awakening monster from the deep

Useful sites

CSIRO, Australia

Salinity – frequently asked questions
Provides clear answers to questions such as 'What causes salinity' and 'What can be done to deal with the problems?'

Salinity and acidity
Provides examples of CSIRO-linked research and development.

Terrestrial mapping and monitoring
Provides information sheets on mapping and monitoring of salinity.

Salinity – an introduction (Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia)

Explains what salinity is and its impact. Focuses on the Western Australian situation.

Australian Dryland Salinity Assessment 2000 (Australian Natural Resources Atlas)

This report from the National Land and Water Resources Audit provides a variety of information (eg, the situation in individual States, case studies, management options and a number of fact sheets). Dryland salinity in Australia is a summary of the Assessment.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Salt, more than a four-letter word (Landline, 16 May 2004)
Australian company Sunsalt is harvesting salt caused by escalating salinity in the Sunraysia district near Mildura.

Sacrificial land (transcript from Background Briefing, 26 January 2003)
Looks at the idea of 'ecological triage' (ie, not attempting to save land or species which are beyond help and putting scarce resources where they can do the most good).  Also covers salinity problems in Western Australia.

Water pressure (4 Corners, 12 March 2001)
Covers the sustainability of water use in Australia.

Salinity – Australia's silent flood (four-part documentary)
Provides a synopsis of each episode – 'The story', 'The land', 'The water' and 'The future'. You can also access 'FAQs' and 'Thoughts and statistics'.

Salinity – our silent disaster (The Slab)
Australian scientists involved in salinity research discuss dryland salinity.

Brochures and factsheets (Australian National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality)

The National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality is a strategy for tackling salinity and for improving water quality in some of Australia's worst affected areas. Factsheets include 'Australia's salinity problem' and 'Frequently asked questions'.

Science overcoming salinity: Coordinating and extending the science to address the nation’s salinity problem (Parliament of Australia)

Report of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Science and Innovation into how Australia is combating salinity. The full report and each of the eight individual chapters are available as PDF files.

Information from each State

New South Wales
Salinity solutions (NSW Department of Natural Resources)

Queensland
Salinity (Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines)

South Australia
Dryland Salinity (Department of the Environment and Water Resources, South Australia)

Tasmania
Soil salinity (Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Tasmania)

Victoria
Notes information series – salinity (Department of Primary Industries, Victoria)

Western Australia
Salinity in Western Australia (Department of Agriculture, Western Australia)

External sites are not endorsed by the Australian Academy of Science.
Page updated July 2008.