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> I say that as an Australian, where despite reasonable laws and ample land... Another Aussie here. Sure we have lots of land, but no water. Our limiting facto

by foobar1962 7y ago

> I say that as an Australian, where despite reasonable laws and ample land... Another Aussie here. Sure we have lots of land, but no water. Our limiting factor is potable freshwater. Our major rivers are dying, rainfall is becoming less predictable. Right now politicians are pushing to build more dams to fix the problem (for agriculture, not population) but that's only going to lead to more negative environmental impact. Here in Australia we need more water recycling. It's energy intensive.

rusabd 7y ago
The North has plenty of water. It is historically underdeveloped and still hasn't caught up with South- East
Mountain_Skies 7y ago
Isn't there also an issue with low nutrient levels in much of the soil which makes it unsuitable for agriculture even with access to freshwater?
- foobar1962 7y ago
  A huge problem is salinity caused by a combination of deforestation and irrigation. The ground water is saline, and trees keep the water level below the surface. Once the trees wearere removed, the groundwater rises, irrigation water sinks down and brings the salt to the surface. Once there it's impossible to grow anything.