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Listed under:  Science  >  Life  >  Ecosystems  >  Biogeochemical cycles  >  Water cycle
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This Place: Birian Balunah - the birthing of the rivers

Paula Nihot shares a story told to her by Yugambeh Elder Patricia O’Connor. It's the story of Wanungara, queen of the mountains, and her daughters Princess Toolona and Princess Caningera, and how their complicated relationships and choices explain the geography of the region.

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Wastewater: treated well, it's not just a waste

This set of three short videos shows the treatment processes for wastewater in a first world community. Process engineers talk about wastewater and how they treat it.

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Catalyst: Managing groundwater for tomorrow

Seventy percent of Perth's water comes from underground. Imagine what would happen if that source of water dried up. It's a real possibility if the impact of the climate and human activity is not carefully managed. Watch as scientists show what causes groundwater levels to fall and the effect that has on the Earth's ecosystems. ...

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Foreign Correspondent: Cenotes

The Yucatán Peninsula is located in south-eastern Mexico and covers a vast area of coastline south of the Gulf of Mexico. It is a popular tourist destination for people who travel to cities such as Cancún to enjoy sandy white beaches. Explore the subterranean freshwater caverns of this region and discover why this pristine ...

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Foreign Correspondent: Sustainable tourism

The Yucatán Peninsula in south-eastern Mexico is a popular tourist destination. This clip focuses on examples of sustainable tourism - tourism that aims to have a low environmental impact. View Tulum, a town under threat of being developed similarly to Cancún, a major tourist resort destination.

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BTN: Seeding clouds to make rain and snow

Imagine if we could control the weather. Find out how scientists are already at work making clouds rain when and where they want. It's called cloud seeding. Watch this clip to understand how cloud seeding works, and where it is being used in Australia.

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Foreign Correspondent: The Mekong: A damming example

The government of Laos has plans for many revenue-raising dams along the Mekong River. Find out about a dam, the Nam Theun 2, which was completed in 2010 and lies across the Nam Theun river in the Nakai Plateau. This clip from the same year asks if the dam could be the flagship for others to be built along the Mekong. Discover ...

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Catalyst: Water through cracked soil

Watch scientists investigate water movement through soil that has been cracked by drought. Australian scientists demonstrate a new way to investigate how water moves through the cracks using electrical probes to measure soil moisture at different soil depths. This technology could help farmers more efficiently irrigate ...

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Catalyst: Toxic sediments

Learn how high levels of toxic sediments in Sydney Harbour have destroyed as much as 40 per cent of its invertebrates. Find out the main source of toxins. Learn how toxins become trapped in the sediment and distributed across the Harbour. Observe the devastating effects of toxic sediments on the food chain in 2010, when ...

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Catalyst: Turning stormwater into groundwater

Imagine how much your life would change if your water supply ran out. Yet, when it rains, so much water is lost as it runs into stormwater drains. Watch as scientists talk about re-directing stormwater to recharge a groundwater aquifer. Listen as they describe how they can use a natural system to remove contaminants from ...

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Foreign Correspondent: Dams and dolphins on the Mekong?

If the Lao Government's plans are realised, nine hydropower dams will be built across the Mekong River in Laos, and more across its tributaries. The government wants the country to become the 'battery of Asia'. With this dream comes a host of issues. Listen to reasons why the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) suggests hydro-dam ...

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ABC News: Supporting sustainable farming

Consider the vast land that is Australia. How might we, as a community, help to keep our land sustainable? Explore the ideas put forward by Professor Peter Cullen and Dr John Williams in response to the continuing drought conditions of 2003. What role could city dwellers play so that farmers could better care for the land?

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Foreign Correspondent: Mother Mekong

Discover the connections between people and ancient temples hidden along the mighty Mekong River. Find out how long the temple Wat Phu (Vat Phou) has been a place of worship. Consider the spiritual value of this river, which provides more than sustenance and money.

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Foreign Correspondent: New dam, new house: The Mekong

The mighty Mekong river provides a way of life for millions of people, and is arguably the most important resource in the developing country of Laos. Discover how villagers are being relocated to make way for hydropower dams on this river, which stretches for nearly 5,000 kilometres from the mountains of Tibet to Vietnam. ...

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Anatomy of a raindrop

The water cycle is the circulation of water on, in and above Earth and it involves a number of stages and changes of state. This clip describes the water cycle and also how modern technology has contributed to our understanding of the shape of raindrops and its relationship to precipitation. Discover how raindrop shape ...

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Foreign Correspondent: Prehistoric evidence

Beneath the Yucatán Peninsula in south-eastern Mexico exists a karst aquifer, the largest underground river system in the world. Discover its deep caverns, which have been perfectly preserved for thousands of years, complete with prehistoric remains.

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ABC News: Population pressures in coastal towns

Stunning beaches and tourist-filled coastal towns are some of Australia's most important assets. But how do seasonal fluctuations in population affect these coastal communities? This clip focuses on a new push by the National Sea Change Taskforce to have visitor numbers properly counted in the next census, so that development ...

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Foreign Correspondent: Mesoamerican Reef threatened

The Mesoamerican Reef, just off the shore of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, is under major threat. Listen to oceanographer Roberto Iglesias-Prieto explain how untreated wastewater affects the underground river system and the reef.

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Science for a hungry world

How vital is water to food production? What would happen if we ran out of readily available water? This is a real possibility for some countries that rely heavily on groundwater to grow crops and sustain local population. By observing the gravity of the Earth, NASA satellites have been able to track the changes in the amount ...

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ABC News: Getting your facts straight about water use

We hear a lot about water use in Australia. What are the real statistics about water use? What is the breakdown of water use for different groups across Australia? Watch this clip to find out who uses water and how much, and consider the value of water and the 'return' on this use for the Australian economy. The figures ...