The need to protect our 'iconic' Outback

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The Australian Outback is an iconic place,” according to Jenny Davis.

A Friend of The Conversation, the Research Professor in Wetland Ecology at University of Canberra, Professor Davis discusses on The Conversation the need for a plan to protect the Outback’s precious water.

She writes: “It is the nation’s great outdoors and represents a concept of wilderness that many Australians hold dear, and the Red Centre is at the top of many international tourists' must-see lists.

“While it covers more than 70% of the continent, this vast area is home to less than 5% of the population, and the Pew Trust describes it as one of the last extensive natural regions left on Earth.

“It is a landscape of great contrasts: it can be green, lush and bountiful but also dry, dusty, harsh and inhospitable,” she says.

Read her story - “Australia needs a plan to protect the Outback’s precious water”.