In November 2016, a high grass pollen count, stormy weather and strong winds conspired to create a deadly thunderstorm asthma event in Melbourne. Nine people died from severe asthma attacks and hundreds more overwhelmed ambulance services and hospital emergency departments.

A multi-disciplinary team bringing together science, sustainable building design and architecture may soon develop the first living algae buildings in Australia.

A partnership between the UTS Advanced Analytics Institute and the NSW Department of Industries (Water) is resulting in more efficient management of water resources through the application of data analytics.

A vision of how we could live more sustainably into the future is being realised in a quiet pocket of Sydney’s western suburbs. Opened in 2016, Fairwater was heralded as one of the country’s most progressive, environmentally-friendly community developments: 800 homes set in a landscape including wetlands and waterways, and with the largest geothermal heating and cooling system in the southern hemisphere.

Seawater desalination has been hailed as the way of the future for meeting our ever-expanding water needs, but current methods are inefficient and environmentally destructive. In a world first, an international team of researchers has developed a method for extracting more fresh water from the process, and recovering valuable resources from the by-products.

The significance of water flow to the health of Australia’s rivers and streams was evident when as many as a million fish died in the lower Darling River in the summer of 2018–19.

Harvesting is one of the most expensive operations in commercial berry production, and one of the more complex to manage. Now, the power of data science and artificial intelligence (AI) is being applied to the process, with benefits for growers, the food supply chain – and berry lovers.