Development in the central Australian arid zone: current assessment

Abstract

The Australian arid zone is undergoing rapid and uncoordinated development with little consideration of possible consequences. The impacts of current development may turn out to be small relative to those associated with past and present human activity in the region, but the rate and range of development have increased markedly in the last few years, and in view of the unintentional destruction wrought by development elsewhere in Australia and in arid zones overseas, greater caution and coordination would be advisable.