Groundwater resources undergoing change
We assess potential impacts of future resource development on water and the environment, focussing on regional scale and cumulative impacts
We provide robust, independent and transparent scientific advice on the risks to water and the environment from future resource developments, such as agriculture, petroleum, hydrogen and renewable energy generation. We developed spatial causal networks to integrate knowledge across disciplines, supported by innovative modelling and field investigations, to assess risks to water and the environment from changing climate and future development posed by the transition to a low emissions future.
Bitter Springs at Mataranka Thermal Pools. Credit: Clare Brandon, CSIRO.
We assess potential impacts of future resource development on water and the environment, focussing on regional scale and cumulative impacts. Our research integrates knowledge of ecology, hydrology, hydrogeology, geology and risk analysis.
Projects include:
- Bioregional Assessment (BA) Program (impacts of coal seam gas and large coal mining on water resources and water-dependent assets)
- Office of Water Science projects (Hydrology: changes in dynamics and aquifer interconnectivity, Chemicals: water-related risks to environmental health)
- Geological and Bioregional Assessment (GBA) Program (impacts of shale and tight gas on water and the environment)
- Trusted Environmental and Geological Information (TEGI) Program (impacts of conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons, hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage on water and the environment)
- Securing water for an emerging Australian hydrogen industry project (impacts of blue and green hydrogen development on water and the environment).
- Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance (GISERA) groundwater and surface water research aiming to improve the understanding of regional ground and surface water flows and the management of water resource impacts.
