Cultural Water and Indigenous Water Science

Rivers and freshwater ecosystems are in trouble, which deeply affects communities who depend on them ( 1 ) and undermines international commitments to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals. Australia’s Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) is a prime example. Water governance in this transboundary river system in southeastern Australia, seen by some as a gold standard for managing water scarcity, has nonetheless failed to meet environmental water recovery targets, despite the investment of AUD$13 billion. Water management failings in the MDB, which is home to more than 40 First Nations who have lived sustainably with water for tens of thousands of years through the creation and application of Indigenous water science ( 2 ) (see the first box), have drawn attention to the living legacies of colonial exploitation and the associated social and ecological impacts. We need to learn from Australia’s failures and change the way we know, value, and manage water, including learning from Indigenous scientists and Elders.