University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne is a university that is part of the pulse of the water sector. Here we bring together everything it publishes on Smart Water Magazine: its news, its blogs and the events it takes part in.
New flood prediction model has potentially life-saving benefits
A new simulation model that can predict flooding during an ongoing disaster more quickly and accurately than currently possible has been developed by University of Melbourne researchers. Published in Nature Water, researchers say the new model has major potential benefits for emergency responses, reducing flood forecasting time from hours and days to just seconds, and enabling […]
Japan’s discharge of radioactive water from Fukushima is avoidable, risky and potentially illegal
The Japanese government intends to discharge all 1.34 million tonnes of wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, an operation that began on 24 August 2023. Presumably, it also plans to discharge the wastewater that will continue to accumulate over the coming decades. This decision is not only harmful to human and environmental health […]
Rainfall is on the rise in Northwest Australia
Warming oceans have altered a common weather pattern that brings monsoon rains across northern Australia, causing a massive increase in rainfall in the northwest.
Devastating cost of future coastal flooding for many developing nations predicted in new study
New global modeling predicts the devastating socioeconomic impacts of future extreme coastal flooding for developing nations caused by climate change, with Asia, West Africa and Egypt facing severe costs in the coming decades. Published in Frontiers in Marine Science, the study sought to determine the expected annual costs and number of people impacted by episodic coastal […]
Dam safety: Probable maximum flood events will significantly increase over next 80 years
The flood capacity of dams could be at greater risk of being exceeded due to out-of-date modelling for potential maximum rainfall, according to industry-funded research by UNSW and the University of Melbourne. The study, published in Water Resources Research, concludes that the rainfall model that engineers use to help design critical infrastructure such as large dams […]
To limit future flooding in Sydney, COP26 pledges need action
Weather events that led to Sydney’s 2021 floods will likely increase by 80 per cent by the end of the 21st Century under both high and moderate emissions scenarios.
Climate-related disasters increase risks of conflict in vulnerable countries, study shows
Researchers have found strong evidence that the risk for armed conflict is higher after a climate-related disaster, but only in vulnerable countries. Lead author Tobias Ide from the University of Melbourne said the disasters include storms, floods and droughts – the frequency and intensity of which will increase in the future, due to climate change. […]
Bushfires and storms threaten water supply and much more
Burned forests in steep mountains can be just as hazardous after the rains come and flames have been extinguished. And the risks are increasing, so what can be done? By Associate Professor Gary Sheridan, Dr Assaf Inbar, Professor Patrick Lane, Dr Petter Nyman, University of Melbourne and Professor Stefan Doerr and Dr Jonay Neris Tome, University of Swansea
Why more clouds can mean less rain in Australia?
On any given day in Australia, depending on where you are, you may look up – hoping for those rainclouds to appear in the sky, or wishing them away. But what you may not realise, is the clouds you’re looking at could be part of a pretty amazing weather phenomena. The Northwest Cloudband is a […]