Pressure is mounting in the Murray-Darling Basin due to the changing climate. Climate change will impact the Basin directly through reductions in rainfall decreasing river flows and water availability, and indirectly through other risks such as the increased threat of bushfire.
Our 2025 Sustainable Rivers Audit notes that the Basin is getting hotter. Average temperatures have risen across the Basin by approximately 1.4 °C since 1910. Most of this increase has occurred since 1970. MD-WERP modelling shows that this is leading to lower river flows and more frequent and intense droughts. These changes are a major threat to the health of the Basin's ecosystems, which support a wide variety of plant and animal species. With prolonged dry periods and low water levels, rivers and wetlands become disconnected. This affects water quality and makes it harder for native plants and animals to survive.
Extreme weather events, like severe bushfires and floods, are becoming more common and are adding even more stress to the environment.
