Trading scheme can save water
The research suggests that groundwater trading based on users pumping a sustainable amount of water could help to protect wetlands and lakes. Image: fotofritz16/iStockphoto A well-designed trading scheme could help protect one of Australia’s most precious resources for the future, its groundwater, as well as the many wetlands and lakes it supports.New research by the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT) suggests that water trading would benefit both urban and rural users, the nation’s water resources and also help protect the native environment, says Centre Director Professor Craig SimmonsThe research is based on a case study of Perth’s Gnangara groundwater system (GGS), by Mr James Skurray and Professor David Pannell, published in the Journal of Hydrology.The research proposes a trading scheme that allows groundwater users to transfer their water rights to one another, as is currently being successfully done with surface water in the Murray-Darling and other parts of Australia,...