澳洲政府將投入5千萬美元收購莫瑞達令盆地（Murray-Darling Basin）的水權，以挽救其中的河川與濕地。這塊澳洲最重要的農業區已遭受近10年的乾旱折磨。
莫瑞達令盆地長3430公里，灌溉澳洲7分之1的國土，因盆地內的兩條主要河川，莫瑞河與達令河而得名。
澳洲氣候變遷與水資源部部長黃英賢（Penny Wong）已展開第一波水權收購，作為總理陸克文（Kevin Rudd）計畫復育莫瑞達令盆地環境的行動之一。
黃英賢部長指出，「澳洲已經連續11年乾旱，莫瑞河連續6年打破最低流量紀錄，這是政府首次採行直接購買水源的方式，就像是為莫瑞河的未來所付的頭期款。」她也表示過去11年的旱情在澳洲造成許多水源重複劃分的問題。
所收購的水源會轉交即將成立的國協環境水資源部，再分配至喬伊拉氾濫平原（Chowilla Floodplain）等澳洲南部的重要環境區域。
公開收購的程序於27日開始，澳洲政府計畫在本預算年度撥款5千萬美金以購買水源。黃英賢部長表示，會邀請有意出售水源的農民，就合理的市場行情向政府開價。
她也說明重新分配的水源會幫助改善上千隻水鳥的繁殖棲地，以及赤桉（River Redgum）的復育工作。
黃英賢部長解釋這5千萬預算僅會用於向有意願的賣家收購，「農民如果希望能透過集資提高生產效率、獲取更高利潤、增加對乾旱與氣候變化的抵抗力，現在可以選擇將部份水權出售給政府。」
她表示「水權收購只是計畫的一部份，我們也打算藉機更新灌溉設備，並會與各級地方政府合作，重新訂定盆地內符合永續的河川取水限額。」
澳洲政府不久前也提供了460萬元經費給國內14個灌溉水源供應單位，希望更新給水設備並減少水量流失。對政府的這項決策，澳洲規模最大的環保團體「澳洲保育基金會」表示歡迎。基金會的內陸河川活動員漢金森（Amy Hankinson）指出，「莫瑞達令流域的濕地與生態都已危在旦夕，能看見政府在最迫切的時刻投入實際經費，令人感到欣慰。」
她也表示，「若要讓水回歸大地，許多研究都顯示最有效、也最經濟的方法就是向有意願的賣主購買水源。我們鼓勵聯邦政府未來數年都能繼續收購水權，以確保重要的濕地與河川能在莫瑞達令流域留存。」
The Australian government will spend $50 million this financial year on buying back water entitlements to rescue the Murray-Darling Basin's rivers and wetlands. Australia's most important agricultural area has been gripped by a decade-long drought.
The Murray-Darling Basin is 3,430 kilometers long and drains one-seventh of the Australian land mass. The name of the basin is derived from its two major rivers, the Murray River and the Darling River.
Senator Penny Wong, minister for climate change and water, has launched the first round of water entitlement purchasing as part of the Rudd Government's plan to restore the health of the Murray-Darling Basin.
"We've had 11 consecutive years of dry conditions and six consecutive years of record low inflow on the Murray, yet this will be the first time the Australian government has ever directly purchased water," Wong said. "This is a down payment on the future of the Murray." Senator Wong said the dry conditions of the past 11 years had as as over-allocation issues in our rivers.
The water entitlements purchased will be held by the soon to be established Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder and delivered to key environmental assets like the Chowilla Floodplain in South Australia.
A public tender process began Wednesday, with the Australian Government allocating $50 million to purchase water this financial year. Senator Wong said irrigators who wish to sell water will be invited to submit offers to the government at a fair market price.
She said providing water to these sites would improve the breeding grounds for thousands of colonial waterbirds and to restore River Redgums.
Senator Wong said the $50 million would be used only to purchase water from willing sellers. "Farmers wanting to raise capital to make their businesses more efficient, more profitable and more resilient to drought and climate change will now have the option of selling some of their water entitlement to the government."
"Water purchase is just one part of our plan," she said. "We also want to get on with the job of modernizing irrigation infrastructure and working cooperatively with other levels of government to set a new, sustainable cap on the amount of water taken from rivers in the Basin."
The Australian government also recently invested $4.6 million in 14 irrigation water providers to identify opportunities to modernize water infrastructure and reduce water loss.
Australia's largest environmental group, the Australian Conservation Foundation, welcomed the government's announcement. "Many of the Murray-Darling's wetlands and wildlife are on the brink of extinction, so it's encouraging to see the government putting in real dollars at a time when it is desperately needed," said ACF's inland rivers campaigner Amy Hankinson.
"Numerous studies have shown buying water from willing sellers is the most efficient and cost-effective way to return water to the environment. "We encourage the federal government to continue purchasing water in the coming years to ensure the survival of key wetlands and rivers throughout the Murray-Darling system."
全文及圖片詳見：ENS
