Review of 'Water Politics in the Murray Darling Basin' by Daniel Connell: Federation Press, ISBN 9781862876330

Abstract

I welcomed the opportunity to review this book, having worked in the Murray Darling Basin. What can history teach us about the institutions needed to influence human behaviour? I was hopeful that this book this would shed light on our tendency to continually produce the same failed model for delivering sustainable natural resource management (NRM). To some extent, it does achieve this although there is more focus on the problems than the solutions. Despite this, I recommend 'Water politics in the Murray-Darling Basin' as a must read for those interested or working in this challenging region. The book contains a prologue, six chapters and an epilogue. The prologue, The power of boredom, sets the book in context. Connell clearly articulates what the book is about: what should be done with the $10 billion reform program announced in 2007 and how research can influence policy and program implementation.