Community vulnerability and adaptive capacity in the Murray Darling Basin

Published: 11 June 2024

This project was commissioned to measure the relative vulnerability of communities in the Murray-Darling Basin to changes in water availability.

This report builds on our 2012 report (Revised Indicators of community vulnerability and adaptive capacity across the Murray-Darling Basin) to provide a contemporary understanding of the relative vulnerability of communities in the Murray-Darling Basin to changes in access to water for irrigation, and the ability of communities to respond or adapt to changes.

In the 2024 report, we’ve updated the baseline community vulnerability index using the latest census data.

The outputs of the project can be used to help policymakers understand the relative sensitivity and adaptive capacity of Basin communities to a change in water access. They can also be used to work closely with communities in the Basin to help them better understand their own situations and what factors might contribute to changes in their communities.

In the 2024 update, we’ve included an interactive Tableau dashboard. This tool lets users access information that is relevant to their own local community.

A related research product is The impacts of further water recovery in the southern Murray–Darling Basin.