AsianScientist (Jun. 3, 2013) – Water efficiency, food security and environmental sustainability will be the focus of a new joint research center between Australia and China, officially launched in Beijing today.
The Australia-China Joint Research Center for River Basin Management led by the University of Melbourne will provide both countries with a new capacity to address national priorities for water resources management.
This includes water catchment management, water productivity, environmental and rural community sustainability, as well as technical and research capacity in these areas.
Professor Peter Scales, Deputy Dean of the Melbourne School of Engineering, said the center will involve expertise from across Australia including the CSIRO, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and the University of Western Sydney.
In China, the Center will be supported by ten partners including the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Ministry for Water Resources, and Tsinghua University.
“Maximizing water security and efficiency while preserving water ecosystems is a global challenge exacerbated by changing climates and rapidly increasing populations,” said Scales. “This joint research center will act as a research incubator to address national priorities for water resources management, increase water productivity and hence food security and economic returns while protecting water ecosystems.”
The Center is one of six recently announced Joint Research Centers co-funded by both the Australian and Chinese governments as part of the Australia-China Science and Research Fund (ACSRF).
Five flagship research programs that build on – and exchange – findings from major national programs in Australia and China will be established, as will a showcase of new technologies for improving water efficiency and water quality.
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Source: University of Melbourne; Photo: Augapfel/Flickr/CC.
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