Australian drought belts conomic growth - AFP

[Eugene]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Australian drought belts conomic growth

by Neil Sands
Sun Apr 22, 12:33 AM ET

SYDNEY (AFP) - A radical Australian government plan to cut water to
drought-hit farmers risks turning the nation's food basket into a dust bowl
and will hobble national economic growth, according to experts.

Prime Minister John Howard announced last week that the "unprecedentedly
dangerous" drought crisis meant water to farms in the fertile Murray-Darling
basin would be shut off unless heavy rains fell by mid-May.

Howard said the water was needed for urban communities but acknowledged
the move was likely to force Australia to import more food, impede overall
economic growth and cripple agriculture in the Murray-Darling.

-snip-

It is Australia's rural powerhouse, producing more than 40 percent of the
nation's agricultural produce, worth 10 billion dollars (8.3 billion US) a year,
according to the government's environment department.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070422/ts_afp/australiadroughtenvironmenteconomy_070422031956

[pscot]

1. Die of thirst now

or starve to death next year. Globalize the choice and you get some suggestion of the nature of the problems we may be facing.