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Projects

International water research and development

Afghanistan National Water Information System development

Transforming water management through information provision.

The Afghan government, together with its development partners, is working hard to address the country’s water challenges.

This project is part of the Australian government's commitment to supporting water sector reform in Afghanistan and will provide Afghanistan with a functioning water information system, through ongoing collaboration between CSIRO, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and Afghanistan’s National Water Affairs Regulation Authority (NWARA). 

Outcomes will provide water information to planners and citizens alike. Planners can use data and information to guide investment in the water sector and citizens can get information services like water allocation or reservoir water status to plan water use or minimise water risks.

International water research and development

Sustaining groundwater management in Bangladesh

Researchers from Bangladesh and Australia are working together with policy makers to understand the sustainable level of water use, particularly groundwater use, for irrigation in the northwest region of Bangladesh.

Beijing, China

Our solar tech commercialised in China

Our heliostat technology will be used for concentrating solar thermal (CST) electricity generation in China.

Our solar thermal technology combined with China's manufacturing capability will help expedite and deliver solar thermal as an important source of renewable energy in China. It will also help commercialise this emerging technology on a larger scale.

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Insect protected cowpeas

We are part of a global project to improve cowpea production in Africa and are making progress towards incorporating ‘built-in’ insect pest protection that could help to reduce food shortages in the region.

Cowpeas are an important food crop in Sub-Saharan Africa but yields are often reduced by more than 80 per cent due to pests and diseases.

By developing improved breeding material, CSIRO also aims to transfer knowledge of the technology to Africa to help combat one of the major pests that affect cowpeas – the legume pod borer.

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Chengdu, South East Asia

Cyprus, Europe

Solar field lights up Cyprus

Helping Cyprus meet its renewable energy targets with half an acre of our unique sun-tracking mirrors, or heliostats, in the sun-drenched Mediterranean.

Indonesia

Unlocking millions of tonnes of nickel

A new method of extracting nickel from Australia’s low-grade laterite reserves could make millions of tonnes of untapped nickel laterites economically viable.

Around 70 per cent of the world's nickel reserves are found in the form of laterites, which are soils rich in mineral ores. Many of these reserves remain untapped due to the complexities of extraction from laterites.

Direct Nickel is working to significantly improve the efficiency and economics of nickel laterite processing in order to unlock the world's nickel laterite supply.

Mexico

Hylogging: saving millions through automated drill core logging

HyLogging ticks two boxes for the Australian mining industry – it is making a demonstrable difference to exploration and mining competitiveness and it is improving our mining services exports.

Considered a major step forward in providing consistency and objectivity in the drill core logging process, the HyLogging system provides new information on the mineralogy of ore deposits.

It dramatically improves geologists' efficiency and productivity by providing them with 'a new set of eyes' to map mineral composition rapidly and objectively.

International water research and development

South Asia

UltraBattery

The UltraBattery has turned the conventional lead-acid battery — into a dynamic technology for storing electricity and powering vehicles.

The UltraBattery can store renewable energy providing reliability, stability and load levelling. It has been commercialised by energy storage solution company ecoult and is being used by Honda in its new Odyssey hybrid model.

The UltraBattery, being tested in rural India has the potential to improve energy security in the world's second largest country by population and reduce reliance on diesel generators.

Abuja, Nigeria

Improving cowpea production in Africa

Cowpeas are a staple food and an important source of protein for more than 200 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Mostly grown in West Africa, the leaves and green pods of cowpeas can be eaten before maturity.

The legume pod borer is one of the major pests affects cowpeas. They damage cowpea flowers, young pods and seeds which drastically reduces yield. Communities are unable to use insecticides in this region as they cannot afford them and do not have the equipment to handle them safely. CSIRO researchers are developing a system for genetically engineering cowpeas so that they can introduce new genes for insect protection.

In 2019 a new insect-resistant cowpea variety was successfully registered in Nigeria paving the way for commercial cultivation and transfer knowledge of the cowpea technology to other parts of Africa.

International water research and development

Papua New Guinea

Regional development for marine sustainability

We're working with Papua New Guinea and Indonesia to develop effective sustainable fisheries management and provide capacity building to in-country fisheries agencies and universities.

Our work with PNG's shark and ray fishery has led to new biodiversity discoveries and will support sustainable management of the fishery into the future.

Daru Island, Papua New Guinea

Yule Island, Papua New Guninea

Rock lobster fishery balances lifestyle and livelihood

Researchers are studying the Torres Strait tropical rock lobster fishery to develop a scientific approach to integrate cultural factors into natural resource management.

We have developed an objective scientific approach that reflects the importance of cultural considerations in Indigenous communities. It also takes into account these communities are often driven by considerations that are not economic.

South-East Asia

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