The Value of Water in a Drying Climate

Disputes over water allocations are, second to climate change, the dominant environmental and public policy issues of the present era. An expert team of ecologists, economists and sustainability experts spent three years interviewing people in the Little Swanport catchment, seeking answers to the optimal allocation of water on the Tasmanian East Coast. The hinterland of this area produces some of the most valuable merino wool in the world, the estuary grows mouth-watering oysters, and much of the land is in near-pristine condition, providing very valuable biodiversity resources.

The book is written in an easy-to-read style and gradually evolves to become the story of everyday life of one small Australian catchment; a story which is then extrapolated out for all types of resource allocation disputes, whether in Australia or overseas. Critical questions throughout the book are: Are we making the best use of water? How do we judge this? Are there trade-offs between upstream and downstream water use? What are these and how are they resolved?

Tor Hundloe is a pioneer of environmental and natural resource economics. He has researched and taught at the University of Queensland, Griffith University and Bond University. He was also a Commissioner of the Industry Commission, where he undertook a public inquiry that changed water allocation and use in Australia. In 2003, Tor was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his contributions to natural resource management and awarded a Century Medal for his contribution to education.

Christine Crawford has worked in marine ecology for over 30 years and has progressively moved upstream, linking estuarine and coastal health with activities in the catchment.