Water for a Healthy Country Flagship overview

• Overview 
• Our research focus
• Partners in science and knowledge delivery
• Research capacity
• The Flagship Collaboration Fund

Overview

Australia’s best scientific research capabilities are being brought together to address the sustainable management of our water resources and deliver relevant and effective water management options. With a total investment of approximately A$100 million per annum, the Flagship is the largest research partnership focusing on water in Australia. The partners include:

• CSIRO
• State and Australian governments
• private and public industry
• other research providers.

The Flagship aims to provide Australians with solutions for water resource management, creating economic gains while protecting or restoring our major water ecosystems.

As demand for water increases, climate changes and storage sites reach capacity, Australia is looking to new strategies that reduce demand, increase efficiency, re-use wastewater and allow water to be traded. Our science is informing the decisions on where and how to best invest in these options and providing enabling technologies. 

Achieving Australia's water potential is a long-term proposition requiring scientific application, innovative partnerships and emerging pathways for adoption.

Our research focus

Our research is supporting some of the major water policy and strategies at national and regional scales including the:

• National Water Initiative
• Reef Water Quality Protection Plan
• Living Murray Initiative
• Water for the Future Strategy
• Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

The research is delivered through four major themes which collectively represent the major water research and management challenges confronting Australia:

Regional water research to help manage water in rural Australia Regional Water research aims to develop tools, knowlege and strategies to assess the availability and use of water in our river systems and catchments.

Healthy Water Ecosystems: providing knowledge to protect and rehabilitate Australia’s water ecosystems The Healthy Water Ecosystems Theme, as part of the Water for a Healthy Country Flagship, is providing the knowledge to protect or rehabilitate the health of Australia’s water ecosystems.

Urban water: addressing Australia’s urban water challenges The Water for a Healthy Country Flagship' Urban Water Theme is conducting research to ensure Australian can meet the demands that climate change and population growth will place on our limited water resources.

Integrating water information systems to help monitor Australia’s precious water resources The Integrated Water Information Systems Theme, part of the Water for a Healthy Country Flagship, aims to develop technology for improved coverage, accuracy and currency for Australia’s water resources information systems.

The relationship between climate and the effect of climate change on water resources is integral to all our research agenda.

Partners in science and knowledge delivery

Partnerships are critical to the development, delivery and adoption of research. Complementing the skills of CSIRO scientists, we draw on the expertise of and advice of over 50 partners including representatives from: 

• Universities
• Cooperative research centres
• Government and statutory authorities
• Research and development corporations
• Catchment management and natural resource management groups
• Community groups
• Public and private industry.

Research capacity

Research excellence is fundamental to achieving our goal. We draw on the skills and expertise of our partners and from within CSIRO. Our primary research providers include:

• Land and Water
• Sustainable Ecosystems
• Marine and Atmospheric Research
• Mathematical and Information Sciences
• ICT centre
• Ensis
• Entomology.

The Flagship Collaboration Fund

The Flagship Collaboration Fund includes a contestable collaborative research program which offers funding for Flagship clusters and projects, visiting fellowships and postgraduate scholarships.

Two major programs being funded by the Collaboration Fund through Water for a Healthy Country Flagship are:

Advanced membrane technologies for water treatment research cluster Developing the next generation of membrane technology to deliver Australia a safe and sustainable water resource.

CLLAMMecology: towards a system understanding of the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth Through the National Research Flagships Collaboration Fund, the CLLAMMecology Research Cluster has developed tools for evaluating water management options to sustain the economic and environmental health of the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth.

Find out more about Water for a Healthy Country research projects.

Contact Information

Location

Related Links

• Water for a Healthy Country Flagship
• The Murray-Darling Basin Sustainable Yields Project
• Water
• CSIRO Land and Water
• CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems

• Advanced membrane technologies for water treatment research cluster
• The urban water security research alliance
• Understanding how climate change affects water supply