Rebecca Lines-Kelly (Agriculture Today May 2007)

Our droughts and changing climate are concentrating everyone's minds on water. At the Grafton Landcare Farming Forum I attended last month, the session on water featured was very interesting.

Forester Jerry Vanclay from Southern Cross University outlined the important role that forests in tropical areas play in ‘creating' local rainfall through transpiration of moisture, but also acknowledged the need for local research into the impacts of forests on stream flows and rainfall patterns.

Werris Creek landholder Craig Carter explained how natural sequence farming has helped hold water in his soil, and Inverell farm manager Glenn Morris outlined the role of humus in storing water in soil. Glenn showed photos to illustrate how hard, low carbon soils literally shed water into drainage lines, so that all the water quickly leaves the area, leaving the soil just as dry as before the rain.

Afterwards, Jerry Vanclay commented that the presentations made him visualise the soil as sponge, which for the past century we have been squeezing dry - land clearing, grazing practices, mechanisation and urbanisation all result in water draining quickly from the landscape, when we really need to store it in the soil for slow release. This suggests we need to find ways to recondition and rehydrate the soil sponge. Techniques include improving humus levels, restoring forests and the local water vapour cycle andrepairing our watercourses, so that we slow down the flow of water in the landscape.

Jerry mentioned the work of Indian Rajendra Singh, who has won awards for his work in bringing rivers back to life in drought stricken Rajasthan by constructing traditional ‘johads' or infiltration ponds. These water storages have gradually replenished groundwater and streams, and revitalised agriculture and forests in local areas. This local water storage approach is quite different to our system of storing water in huge dams for delivery to irrigation and urban areas.

I left the Landcare Farming Forum with plenty of new ideas to think about, as did most of the 200 people who attended. The changing climate is forcing change on us at an unprecedented rate, and it isinspiring to see how quickly landholders and scientists are responding with innovative land management.