The Sustainable Yields 2025 assessment demonstrates that a hotter, more variable climate is likely to reduce water availability across the Murray–Darling Basin, reinforcing the need for adaptive, science-based water management and long-term planning.
The Sustainable Yields Project is the Murray–Darling Basin Authority's flagship scientific assessment of the impacts of climate change on water availability across the Murray–Darling Basin. Originally undertaken in 2009 and updated through the Sustainable Yields 2025 assessment, the program provides a whole-of-Basin evaluation of future hydroclimate conditions, river system performance, groundwater resources, ecological thresholds, and the implications of changing water availability for communities, industries, and the environment.
Drawing on advances in climate science, hydrological modelling and data analytics, Sustainable Yields 2025 delivers the most comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of future water resources in the Basin.
The program identifies a future characterised by higher temperatures, increased climate variability, more severe droughts, and declining water availability in many regions, particularly in the southern Basin. These findings provide a critical evidence base for adaptive water management and long-term planning.
As a key input to the 2026 Basin Plan Review, the Sustainable Yields Program supports the MDBA's commitment to using the best available science and knowledge to inform policy development and decision-making. By improving understanding of future climate and water resource risks, the program helps governments, communities, industries, and water managers develop resilient and adaptive approaches to securing the social, economic, cultural, and environmental values of the Murray–Darling Basin.