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  • © 2023

Irrigation, Salinity, and Rural Communities in Australia's Murray-Darling Basin, 1945–2020

Palgrave Macmillan

Authors:

  1. Daniel Rothenburg

    1. Scientific Coordinator and Research Associate at the Collaborative Research Center 923 "Threatened Order", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

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  • Provides a regional and social history of irrigation in Australia's largest irrigation district

  • Explores the impact of salinization on rural communities

  • Draws out connections between social, political, and environmental change, and the local, regional, and global

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in World Environmental History (PSWEH)

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xviii
    PDF

  2. Introduction

    • Daniel Rothenburg
    Pages 1-18

  3. History, Geography, and Geology

    • Daniel Rothenburg
    Pages 19-30

  4. Antecedents

    • Daniel Rothenburg
    Pages 31-49

  6. A Time of Crisis (1976–1982)

    • Daniel Rothenburg
    Pages 99-136

  7. Community Activism (1966–1988)

    • Daniel Rothenburg
    Pages 137-200

  8. A New World (1979–1994)

    • Daniel Rothenburg
    Pages 201-240

  9. Under Control? (1988–2020)

    • Daniel Rothenburg
    Pages 241-259

  10. Conclusion

    • Daniel Rothenburg
    Pages 261-267

  11. Epilogue

    • Daniel Rothenburg
    Pages 269-276

  12. Back Matter

    Pages 277-303
    PDF
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About this book

This book explores the issue of salinization in the context of contemporary conflicts about irrigation, water, and the environment in Australia, considering the Murray-Darling Basin in particular. It provides an environmental and social history charting the transformation of rural communities in the basin through the salinization of soils and water. Focusing on the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation district in the southwest of the Murray-Darling basin – the largest irrigation district in Australia – it explores the history of state-directed, large-scale engineering in the district, where the environment has been altered dramatically to facilitate white agricultural settlement inland. Changes to the landscape led to extensive salinization, however – a significant environmental threat in Australia. This book traces the impact of these changes on rural communities, taking a ‘bottom-up’ approach, highlighting the connections between environmental, social, and political change. It provides an important reflection on the importance of environmental history for facing the challenges posed by anthropogenic climate change.

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Keywords

  • agriculture
  • Goulburn-Murray irrigation district
  • rural Australia
  • salinization
  • water scarcity
  • conservation
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Authors and Affiliations

  • Scientific Coordinator and Research Associate at the Collaborative Research Center 923 "Threatened Order", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

    Daniel Rothenburg

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About the author

Daniel Rothenburg is Scientific Coordinator and Research Associate at the Collaborative Research Center 923 “Threatened Order”, University of Tübingen, Germany.
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Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Irrigation, Salinity, and Rural Communities in Australia's Murray-Darling Basin, 1945–2020

  • Authors: Daniel Rothenburg

  • Series Title: Palgrave Studies in World Environmental History

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-18451-2

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: History, History (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-031-18450-5Published: 14 January 2023

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-031-18453-6Due: 28 January 2024

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-031-18451-2Published: 13 January 2023

  • Series ISSN: 2730-9746

  • Series E-ISSN: 2730-9754

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVIII, 303

  • Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations, 10 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: History, general, Social History, Social History

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Access via your institution

Buy it now

eBook USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

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