Assessing the Climate Response to Major Surface Inundation: Lake Eyre, Australia

Abstract

A World Meteorological Organization assessment of freshwater resources noted that approximately 1.7 billion people, or one-third of the world’s population, live in countries that are water-stressed (Stockholm Environment Institute 1997) (defined as using more than 20% of their renewable water supply, a commonly used indicator of water stress), and that this number is projected to increase to around 5 billion by 2025. As a result, projects to ‘drought-proof’ regions vulnerable to water stress are clearly of interest to many people and governments.