With El Niño upon us and the prospect of water scarcity ahead, how well positioned are we to make accurate and timely decisions about water resources? Our last water crisis, still a vivid memory for many Australians, was the , which was extreme by any measure. Protracted and widespread water shortages saw farm dams empty, rivers run dry, and lakes acidify as streamflow dwindled. Treasury estimated that agricultural output fell by 24%, rural exports by fell by 26%, agricultural income plummeted by 46% and 100,000 people in farm-related employment were left without work. Controversy surged through the media as opinion divided about what to do. At the peak of the water security crisis, amid...
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