Australia could face decade-long megadroughts due to climate change: Study

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A new study released by the Australian National University (ANU) and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes has sounded the alarm on the potential for decades-long "megadroughts" to hit Australia, including its largest agricultural region, as climate change intensifies severe weather patterns.

Co-lead author Dr. Georgy Falster from ANU emphasized the urgency of preparing for the possibility of prolonged megadroughts, which could surpass anything experienced in recent history. The study particularly focused on the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia's primary agricultural area, highlighting the critical need to understand the severity of potential droughts in this region.

Australia, known as the driest inhabited continent on Earth, has already endured numerous significant droughts, with the more recent Millenium Drought being one of the nation's most devastating. However, the study's findings, based on extensive climate observations dating back to 850, indicate that droughts have worsened since the industrial era, with southwestern and eastern Australia projected to experience reduced rainfall and heightened drought risk in the future.

The Murray-Darling Basin, responsible for 40 percent of Australia's farms and a significant portion of its agricultural output, faces significant threats from these projected droughts. Professor Nerilie Abram, a co-author of the study, stressed the importance of reducing carbon emissions and improving water management to mitigate the risk of megadroughts.

Abram warned that future droughts, like the intense "Tinderbox Drought" of the 21st century, could be exacerbated by climate change. The only viable solution, she argued, is to swiftly transition to renewable energy sources to curb greenhouse gas emissions and implement robust water storage and management plans alongside community support networks to mitigate the impacts of future droughts.

The study's findings underscore the urgent need for proactive measures to address climate change and its potential ramifications on Australia's water resources and agricultural sector.