Groundwater Conference highlights aquifers' key role in building resilience in our resource management systems

WAHAT DO Australia’s climate change, finite water resources, resource management and energy-future challenges have in common? The 2019 Australian Groundwater Conference will outline an important commonality: they all require Australia’s groundwater experts to implement innovative groundwater solutions to meet Australia’s resilience aims.

The Brisbane event will host more than 500 of Australasia’s groundwater experts, with international speakers, to reveal the latest research into groundwater science and management.

The three day conference canvasses topics as diverse as mapping water trends across Australia, drinking water security in Asia and the Pacific, risks associated with fracking, and the conservation and management of groundwater with Indigenous stakeholders.

Speakers will highlight:

• The role that groundwater storage (‘managed aquifer recharge’) has in improving drought resilience and minimising water losses from surface water evaporation.
• How improvements in groundwater modelling science have increased our understanding of interactions between energy systems (onshore gas; geosequestation; geothermal) and groundwater systems.
• The latest in PFAS contamination research and solutions.
• The role that next-generation ‘water fingerprinting’ (groundwater isotope studies) has in determining the age and providence of our groundwater resources.
• The role Indigenous groundwater research can play in modern groundwater practices.
• New techniques for characterising and managing groundwater dependent ecosystems.

Conference chair, Professor Jim Underschultz said with the theme of 'Groundwater in a Changing World', AGC2019 is the preeminent gathering a water resource professionals in the Southern Hemisphere that happens once every two years 

 “Groundwater is increasingly recognised as a vital element in world water resource management and an important contributor to global health, economies, and social and environmental wellbeing," Prof. Underschultz said.

“Academic, government, consulting and industry members of the International Association of Hydrogeologists from the Australasian region will explore recent advancements in hydrogeology and water resources management, the implications of climate change and the impacts on agricultural, resource and infrastructure industries.”

Jointly hosted by the International Association of Hydrogeologists Australia (IAH) and the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT) at Flinders University, the groundwater conference will be held at the Brisbane Convention and Expo Centre.

To be opened by Queensland's chief scientist, Prof. Paul Bertsch, the conference will  feature six plenary presentations, 295 oral presentations, 90 poster presentations, and five panel sessions bringing together a mix of industry leaders, policy makers and scientists.

The event will also host the 2019 IAH Groundwater Industry Awards at the Queensland Museum on Monday November 25.

 

Australasian Groundwater Conference 2019

24-27 November 2019
Brisbane Convention and Expo Centre
Brisbane Southbank, Queensland
https://www.groundwaterconference.com.au/

 

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