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Listed under:  Economics and business  >  Economy  >  Production (Economics)  >  Resources  >  Natural resources  >  Water resources
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Landline: Feeding soils to grow hungry crops

How do today's farmers improve their crop yields? One school of thought is to go high-tech and use agricultural technologies designed to improve efficiencies and yields. See the role that soil condition plays in gaining those high yields.

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Catalyst: What are modular farms?

Modular farms are flexible and self-contained systems that allow you to grow herbs and vegetables without the need for soil or sunlight. What are some advantages of modular farms? What may be some of the disadvantages?

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The explorers’ diaries

When Sir Thomas Mitchell and Sir George Grey explored unknown regions of Australia in the 19th century, they found sophisticated examples of agriculture practised by Indigenous peoples. Writer Bruce Pascoe considers why Aboriginal agriculture, economy and civilisation were not taught to generations of Australians. Do you ...

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Foreign Correspondent: Ethiopia's nomadic pastoralists doing it tough

In 2008, Ethiopia's famines just keep coming, fuelled by prolonged periods of drought, rising food prices and an increasing population. Listen to aid worker Valerie Browning in a program aired that year, as she describes how nomadic pastoralists living in the remote regions of Afar try to survive and make their livelihood ...

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World’s first bakers?

When did humans begin grinding seeds to make flour? Many people believe bread-making began in Egypt or Mesopotamia as long as 17,000 years ago. Archaeologists have recently found evidence that Indigenous Australians were producing flour 65,000 years ago. Were they the world’s first bakers?

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Where does water go after it rains?

What happens to rainfall in Australia? Water usually flows downhill, and because we know where the hills are, scientists have been able to divide the country into drainage divisions, or catchments. Find out which drainage division you're in, and learn what happens to rainwater that doesn't make it to the sea. |Learn more ...

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Catalyst: Managing groundwater for tomorrow

Seventy percent of Perth's water comes from underground. Imagine what would happen if that source of water dried up. It's a real possibility if the impact of the climate and human activity is not carefully managed. Watch as scientists show what causes groundwater levels to fall and the effect that has on the Earth's ecosystems. ...

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For the Juniors: Using and storing water on a farm

Can you imagine a farm with no water? What might happen to the animals and crops? This clip explains how important a water supply is for farmers. You will see some ways that farmers store water, which is especially important when there is limited or no rain.

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Food for thought

Food security, or sufficient access to safe and nutritious food, is of rising global concern. Watch this animated clip to discover the main problems facing food security, and to see some suggestions for solutions that might incorporate strategies like waste management practices and emerging technologies.

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Foreign Correspondent: Power is money on the the Mekong

Discover why the Lao Government plans to build a hydropower dam at Xayaboury (Xayaburi) on the Mekong River and how neighbouring countries might react. The Mekong River Commission is attempting to maintain a balance for all users of the river. Find out why this is a difficult and complex task.

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Foreign Correspondent: Mother Mekong

Discover the connections between people and ancient temples hidden along the mighty Mekong River. Find out how long the temple Wat Phu (Vat Phou) has been a place of worship. Consider the spiritual value of this river, which provides more than sustenance and money.

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Catalyst: Growing avocados

Demand for certain kinds of food changes with time as people's tastes change. Avocados were not always popular, but in recent years their popularity has increased so much that supply cannot keep up with demand. Learn how stem cell scientists at the University of Queensland are leading the way in research that could cut ...

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BTN: Seeding clouds to make rain and snow

Imagine if we could control the weather. Find out how scientists are already at work making clouds rain when and where they want. It's called cloud seeding. Watch this clip to understand how cloud seeding works, and where it is being used in Australia.

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Foreign Correspondent: Cenotes

The Yucatán Peninsula is located in south-eastern Mexico and covers a vast area of coastline south of the Gulf of Mexico. It is a popular tourist destination for people who travel to cities such as Cancún to enjoy sandy white beaches. Explore the subterranean freshwater caverns of this region and discover why this pristine ...

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Foreign Correspondent: New dam, new house: The Mekong

The mighty Mekong river provides a way of life for millions of people, and is arguably the most important resource in the developing country of Laos. Discover how villagers are being relocated to make way for hydropower dams on this river, which stretches for nearly 5,000 kilometres from the mountains of Tibet to Vietnam. ...

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Landline: Winning the race to feed a growing population

The race is on to produce higher crop-yielding plants that will feed an ever-growing world population. See how scientists at the Plant Accelerator facility are investigating ways of increasing crop production. Some are focusing on conventional plant-breeding techniques while others are using GM (genetic modification) technology.

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Landline: Feeding the hungry in Timor-Leste

It is often hard for a developing country to grow enough food to feed its population. In this clip you'll see the challenges encountered by the growing nation of Timor-Leste (East Timor). Listen to an AusAID organiser and the East Timorese president describe the importance of food, and the heartbreak of a hungry nation.

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Marla Spivak: Why bees are disappearing

This is a video of a TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) talk by Professor Marla Spivak about the dramatic decline in the number of bees. The 16-minute video begins with a discussion of why humans should care about bees, including their critical importance for the world's food supply. Professor Spivak explains that ...

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Food wastage footprint

This is an animated video about the extent of global food wastage, its short- and long-term effects and how it can be minimised. Stating that about one-third of the food produced in the world each year is lost or wasted, the video uses concrete examples to show what this means in terms of land area, water, natural habitats, ...

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Closing the gender gap in agriculture

This is a video about the gap in equality between men and women in the agriculture industry and how closing this gap could assist in the increase of food production. It includes information about the current state of the agriculture industry and presents the case for equal access for women to land, education, seeds, water, ...