Water Wit and Wisdom steps back from technical debates about water and instead examines how we think about water. It explores why water conflicts persist, how innovation can escape entrenched positions, and how Australia can use its water far more wisely. The book combines history, systems thinking, practical technology, and social adoption to show that sustainable irrigation is possible, if we are willing to change both practice and mindset.
Introduction — Thinking Differently About Water
Water Wit and Wisdom deliberately takes a step back. Rather than focusing only on technical solutions, it examines the way we think about water. The central argument is that many water problems persist not because solutions do not exist, but because our thinking is constrained by tradition, conflict, and short-term incentives.
The book is structured to challenge entrenched assumptions and to demonstrate that innovation in water management requires changes in mindset as much as changes in technology.
Part One — Innovation and Escaping Water Conflict
The first part of the book examines the process of innovative thinking needed to escape traditional water conflicts. Water allocation disputes often become locked into adversarial positions, where each user group defends its share without considering the system as a whole.
This section explores how innovation can emerge when the focus shifts from competing interests to shared outcomes. It argues that progress depends on reframing problems, questioning assumptions, and being willing to test ideas that sit outside conventional thinking.
Part Two — Redefining the Water Crisis
The second part redefines the so-called water crisis. Rather than treating water scarcity as an absolute limit, the book shows how Australia could make far better use of the water already available by adopting a holistic approach.
This involves understanding water as part of a broader system that includes soils, rivers, agriculture, communities, and ecosystems. When water is managed in isolation, inefficiencies and unintended consequences accumulate. When managed holistically, significant gains become possible.
Part Three — Technology and Irrigation Efficiency
The third part focuses on technology, particularly irrigation. Flood irrigation is identified as the single largest user of water. The book explains how this method can be made far more efficient and how irrigation depth can be controlled to avoid waste.
It also addresses salinity management, showing that poor control of irrigation depth is a major contributor to long-term soil and river salinisation. By applying only the water required to reach the root zone, losses can be reduced without sacrificing productivity.
Part Four — Adoption and Competing Water Users
The fourth part examines the problems of adoption. Even when effective technology exists, adoption is often slow or resisted. Water is subject to strong competitive pressures from agriculture, cities, industry, and the environment.
This section explores how these competing demands can be reconciled into a common plan that benefits the community as a whole. It argues that sustainable outcomes require cooperation, policy reform, and a willingness to reallocate water in ways that serve long-term interests.
Part Five — A Vision of the Future
The final part of the book is presented as a simple fairy story or fable, set in the future. Its purpose is not technical detail, but vision. It shows what could be achieved with modest imagination, cooperation, and foresight.
By stepping outside current constraints, the story illustrates how water systems might function if innovation and adoption worked together.
Historical Perspective — Irrigation and Collapse
A key theme of the book is drawn from global history. Studying irrigation societies shows that almost every one, with only three notable exceptions, failed after roughly 200 years. The primary cause was salinity.
Irrigation acts like a natural evaporation system that concentrates salts in the soil. The societies that endured were fortunate enough to have natural rainfall or cyclic flooding that flushed salts back to the sea. Those without flushing eventually collapsed.
Modern Irrigation and the Salinity Trap
Modern irrigation is highly managed and, in theory, could avoid salinity altogether. However, there has been little consideration of the need for deliberate flushing.
The financial benefits of irrigation are immediate, while salt accumulation is slow and insidious. As a result, most river systems are over-allocated, leaving insufficient water for flushing flows.
The Political Challenge of Water Management
The challenges faced by water managers are not only technical. Once water is allocated, reclaiming it for flushing encounters strong political resistance.
Addressing salinity therefore requires a paradigm shift in both technology and adoption. Without changes in how water is used and valued, technical solutions alone are insufficient.
Innovation, Technology, and Adoption
The book’s central theme is the process of innovation: how to develop the necessary technology and how to ensure it is adopted. It demonstrates that large volumes of water can be saved without reducing agricultural output.
The real challenge lies in persuading irrigators to adopt improved practices and to reallocate the water saved for flushing.
Controlling Irrigation Depth
One of the most important principles described is ensuring that, for most irrigations, no water passes below the root zone. The water saved through this approach can then be used for periodic flushing.
During flushing events, irrigators apply additional water to their land while extra water is simultaneously released down the river to transport salt to the sea.
Self-Learning Irrigation Management
The book describes how irrigators can determine exactly how much water is required to reach a specified depth by using a self-learning approach. This method identifies soil characteristics over time rather than relying on fixed assumptions.
Self-learning software has been developed to support this process. It is designed to be efficient, practical, and accessible for the average farmer.
Drip, Sprinkler, and Flood Irrigation
With modern drip and sprinkler systems, controlling irrigation depth is relatively straightforward. In contrast, flood irrigation, which uses the majority of water, offers little inherent control.
The book describes a low-cost method to modify flood irrigation systems so that efficiency is increased and irrigation depth can be managed more effectively.
The Real Barrier — Adoption
While the technology needed for sustainable water use already exists, the greatest barrier is adoption. Changing long-established practices requires shifts in attitudes among water managers, irrigators, and the broader public.
The book outlines strategies for encouraging these changes and aligning incentives with long-term sustainability.
How to Order
ISBN: 064643814-X
Available from any good bookshop, or order online from the Australian Book Group:
