The southern Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) is particularly vulnerable to salinity problems. Much of the Basin’s landscape and underlying groundwater is naturally saline with groundwater not being suitable for human or irrigation use. Since European settlement in the early 1800s, two actions—the clearance of deep-rooted native vegetation for dryland agriculture and the development of irrigation systems on the Riverine Plains and Mallee region—have resulted in more water now entering the groundwater systems, resulting in mobilization of the salt to the land surface and to rivers. While salinity has been a known issue since the 1960s, it was only in the mid-1980s that was recognized as one of the most significant environmental and economic challenges facing the MDB. Concerted and cooperative action since 1988 by the Commonwealth and Basin state governments under a salinity management approach implemented over the past 30 years has resulted in salinity now being largely under control, but still requiring on-going active management into the future. The approach has involved the development of three consecutive salinity strategies governing actions from 1988 to 2000, from 2001 to 2015, and the most recent from 2016 to 2030. The basis of the approach and all three strategies is an innovative, world-leading salinity management framework consisting of: An agreed salinity target; joint works and measures to reduce salt entering the rivers; and an agreed accountability and governance system consisting of a system of salinity credits to offset debits, a robust and agreed method to quantify the credits and debits, and a salinity register to keep track of credits and debits. This paper first provides background to the salinity issue in the MDB, then reviews the three salinity management strategies, the various actions that have been implemented through these strategies to control salinity, and the role of the recent Basin Plan in salinity management. We then discuss the future of salinity in the MDB given that climate change is forecast to lead to a hotter, drier and more variable climate (particularly more frequent droughts), and that increased salt loads to the River Murray are predicted to come from the lower reaches of the Mallee region. Finally, we identify the key success factors of the program.

中文翻译：

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澳大利亚墨累-达令盆地的盐度管理

墨累-达令盆地南部 (MDB) 特别容易受到盐度问题的影响。盆地的大部分景观和底层地下水都是天然咸水，地下水不适合人类或灌溉使用。自 1800 年代初欧洲人定居以来，两项行动——为旱地农业清除根深蒂固的本土植被，以及在河流平原和马里地区发展灌溉系统——导致更多的水现在进入地下水系统，从而导致动员盐分流入地表和河流。虽然自 1960 年代以来盐分一直是一个已知问题，但直到 1980 年代中期才被认为是 MDB 面临的最重大的环境和经济挑战之一。自 1988 年以来，联邦和流域州政府在过去 30 年实施的盐度管理方法下采取了协调一致的合作行动，目前盐度已基本得到控制，但未来仍需继续积极管理。该方法涉及制定了 1988 年至 2000 年、2001 年至 2015 年以及最近的 2016 年至 2030 年三个连续的盐度战略管理行动。该方法和所有三个战略的基础是创新的、世界领先的盐度管理框架包括： 商定的盐度目标；减少入河盐分的联合工程和措施；一个商定的问责和治理系统，包括一个抵消借方的盐度信用系统，一个强大的、商定的量化贷方和借方的方法，和盐度登记册，以跟踪贷记和借记。本文首先提供了 MDB 中盐度问题的背景，然后回顾了三种盐度管理策略、通过这些策略实施的各种控制盐度的行动，以及最近的流域计划在盐度管理中的作用。然后我们讨论了 MDB 盐度的未来，因为预测气候变化将导致更热、更干燥和更多变的气候（特别是更频繁的干旱），并且预计墨累河的盐负荷增加来自较低的Mallee 地区的范围。最后，我们确定了该计划的关键成功因素。然后回顾三种盐度管理策略，通过这些策略实施的各种控制盐度的行动，以及最近的流域计划在盐度管理中的作用。然后我们讨论了 MDB 盐度的未来，因为预测气候变化将导致更热、更干燥和更多变的气候（特别是更频繁的干旱），并且预计墨累河的盐负荷增加来自较低的Mallee 地区的范围。最后，我们确定了该计划的关键成功因素。然后回顾三种盐度管理策略，通过这些策略实施的各种控制盐度的行动，以及最近的流域计划在盐度管理中的作用。然后我们讨论了 MDB 盐度的未来，因为预测气候变化将导致更热、更干燥和更多变的气候（特别是更频繁的干旱），并且预计墨累河的盐负荷增加来自较低的Mallee 地区的范围。最后，我们确定了该计划的关键成功因素。更干燥和更多变的气候（特别是更频繁的干旱），并且预计墨累河的盐负荷增加来自马利地区的下游。最后，我们确定了该计划的关键成功因素。更干燥和更多变的气候（特别是更频繁的干旱），并且预计墨累河的盐负荷增加来自马利地区的下游。最后，我们确定了该计划的关键成功因素。