Issue 288 – Water and food

Critical and rare: the minerals Australia can supply to the world

Critical and rare earth minerals will underpin the clean energy transition. Our national leaders have signalled the importance of mining and refining critical minerals in Australia. But what are these resources, and what’s at stake?

Waterbirds in northern Australia: birds of a feather, grouped together

Northern Australia is home to a diverse and unique range of waterbirds. Scientists have created four functional groups of waterbirds, helping decision makers better understand the potential impacts of water and agricultural development in the north.

Australian roadmap to serve up future protein

A new CSIRO report shows how Australia can capture an extra $13 billion by producing the world’s future protein.

UN book showcases ways to store water for a not-so-rainy day

With La Niña conditions in Australia, it's the perfect time to be asking: how can we store water for a not-so-rainy day? One solution is managed aquifer recharge (MAR). Two exemplary MAR projects in Australia, both supported by CSIRO, have just been profiled in a new United Nations Ebook.

Can we have healthy marine ecosystems and modify rivers in northern Australia?

We’ve used a novel ecosystem modelling approach to demonstrate how river flows are the lifeblood of marine ecosystems in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Future-proofing wheat for hotter, drier climates

CSIRO scientists have identified new genetics that enable wheat varieties to tap into moisture up to two times deeper in the soil than current varieties.