'Heart of Australia' - the Murray Darling Basin - is in declining health

The Murray-Darling basin has been described as the heart of Australia's waterways. It covers more than one million square kilometres and provides water for more than 3.6 million people. The Murray-Darling basin is Australia's largest river system and plans to protect it hope to keep enough water in the system to improve the environment. While there have been billions of dollars of investment and 30 years of policy reform, reports from new research suggest that the river system is declining in its health, leading to widespread impacts. Of a total of 27 indicators reviewed by scientists, 74 percent showed no improvement or worsening conditions. The group of scientists behind the report is now calling for more to be done to change this state of affairs. Listen to SBS Indonesian every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 3 pm. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to our podcasts.

The Murray-Darling Basin provides water to more than 3.6 million Australians and covers more than one million square kilometres.