South Australia Department of Environment and Water

The Department for Environment and Water aims to help South Australians conserve, sustain and prosper, to deliver a thriving state built on sound stewardship of our environment and water.  The department does this by being:

• A facilitator of community involvement in and taking responsibility for the environment.
• A steward of the state’s natural resources to enable sustainable development.
• The custodian of public parks, gardens, heritage places and Crown lands for public benefit and enjoyment, and for their intrinsic value.
• An authority on the state’s environment and natural resources to help governments, businesses and individuals make good long-term decisions.

In this context, the department plays a lead regulatory function with regard to water access, use and sustainable management.  This includes responsibility for the implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in South Australia.

The Department for Environment and Water has an extensive international water engagement program which aims to establish linkages with other countries to enable South Australian water expertise to be applied to resolve global water challenges.  India has been a priority area of focus of this program for the last seven years.  The Australia India Water Centre will be a core partner for this work as it expands in a post COVID-19 environment.