Estuaries of Australia in 2050 and beyond

Abstract

In late September 2013, Springer published the 2014 book edited by Eric Wolanski “ Estuaries of Australia in 2050 and Beyond ”, which is part of the series “Estuaries of the World” . The book addresses the question: Is Australia’s growing human population and economy environmentally sustainable for its estuaries and coasts by 2050? The book has detailed studies of eighteen iconic Australian estuaries and bays. They can be divided in three types based on the human impact, namely (1) estuaries that bore the full pressure of the historical developments, (2) estuaries being degraded, and (3) estuaries that are still relatively pristine. This knowledge was synthesised in a chapter by Eric Wolanski and JeanPaul Ducrotoy in the concluding chapter of the book. In that chapter, they suggest what Australian estuaries may look like in 2050 based on socio-economic decisions that are made now. It is shown that governance and sustainable development are only practiced where there is a large urban population demanding a high quality of life, such as in southern capital cities and key coastal tourism cities whose livelihood requires clean estuarine and coastal waters. Elsewhere in the country, particularly in the tropical regions, the policy of development at all costs is still practiced although it is hidden behind environmental protection legislation that is however routinely bypassed. This book also details the changes that are needed in governance to ensure sustainable development of Australian estuaries.