The Impacts of Salinity in Australia

Large areas of Australia are affected by both water and dry land salinity and studies have shown that the affected areas will increase dramatically over the coming decade. It is being recognised as the greatest environmental threat to Australia in the 21st Century and it has become a national imperitive to combat this growing issue.

Salinty impacts upon agriculture as well as the biodiversity of aquatic and terrestrial life. High levels of dry land salinty make the earth infertile and impacts the food sources of native fauna, and high levels of aquatic salinty undrinkable and useless for agricultural purposes. This means many of the nation's resources, for both domectic and export purposes, are at risk. Salinity also affects infrastructure and costs the Australian government in excess $100 million per annum, and these figures will rise without significant and large scale intervention into the issue.

Salinty poses an enormous environmental threat to the future of Australia. With the futures of huge numbers of native fauna and flora species at risk, as well as the future of much of the nation's agriculture, it is paramount that salinty be effectively combated presently. If not, Australia faces an far more uncertain future.