What is the long-term effect of soil salinity?
Analysts project that, by 2050, areas affected by salinity in Australia may spiral to 17.1 million hectares. This would not only have a serious negative impact on our agricultural output, but also on our watercourses and wetlands, water reserves, roads and buildings. Unimpeded, salinity will make Adelaide’s water supply exceed World Health Organisation salinity limits 2 days in 5 by 2020. It will also reduce irrigation water supplies and degrade existing irrigation areas, at the same time damaging rural infrastructure and many country towns. Unless preventative measures are taken, soil salinity in South Australia is expected to increase by 60% over the next 50 years, affecting over 520,000 hectares by the middle of the century. In South Australia alone, costs associated with soil salinity are estimated to rise from a year 2000 base of $44.4 million to $91.8 million per annum by 2050. These costs include: losses in agricultural production; road, rail and building maintenance; and costs
