Adaptation and Adjustments in Drought-Prone Areas: an Overview—South Australian Study

Australia is a country of about 7.7 million km², situated between latitudes 10° and 43° S. It has a population of almost 16 million people. The Australian environment ranges from the tropics to deserts to a Mediterranean type of climate in the southern areas. The major part of Australia consists of arid rangelands in the center of the continent. These occupy 74% of the area and have only 3% of the country's population. Most of the agricultural production comes from within 150 km of the coastline, and agriculture contributes about 45% of the country's export earnings.