by Clare Beeston

ACROSS October and November, the Loxton Research Centre and Hub has hosted two separate international delegations from varying countries including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia on the topic of managing water resources. 

Funded through a DFAT Australia Awards scholarship, the first international group saw 17 agricultural research and extension professionals from India, Nepal and Bangladesh visit Loxton, South Australia in late October, looking to discuss collaborative approaches on water resource management through the One Basin Cooperative Research Centre model. During the visit, discussions were related to applying an integrated multi-organisation approach to managing water resources across borders, government agencies, agri-sectors and consumers – including the One Basin CRC model. Keen visitors were offered an introduction to the CRC, including current research projects and the way in which One Basin is responding to challenges linked to climate change, carbon farming and water resource conservation. 

The group also had a presentation and site visit to the Brackish Groundwater Desalination Project at Century Orchards south of Loxton.

The second international tour arrived in mid-November at the Loxton hub, comprising 15 groundwater professionals across research institutes, universities and ministries from Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. 

The overall aim of the Fellowship program is to provide the mechanism to introduce innovative climate-resilient farming practices to the region’s poor smallholder farmers through building the skills and capacity of Fellows. This will contribute to meeting critical regional objectives of Governments by improving the economic well-being of resource-poor farmers, reducing climate change-induced food shortages, influencing government policy and in turn helping to maintain regional political stability.Also a DFAT funded project, the overall theme of the visit focused on the One Basin CRC collaboration model, and a presentation and site visit to the Brackish Groundwater Desalination Project at Century Orchards. The focus of their Australian Award Fellowship is “Unlocking Mekong Region’s Hidden Groundwater Potential through Collaboration and Capacity Building”, which the Loxton Research Centre was thrilled to be associated with.