ABSTRACT
Human activities have direct or indirect effects on the environment. Therefore, consideration must be given to these activities in developing an integrated catchment management plan for the use of land and water resources for various purposes. Changes in the environment caused by overexploitation of natural resources contribute to further
degradation of land and water resources. For example, according to Blackmore (1994), significant areas of the Murray-Darling Basin, which covers 1.06 million square kilometers or one-seventh of Australia, are degraded with soil erosion, land and water salinization, soil acidifica tion, and eutrophication of waterways and lakes. He stressed that these problems need to be managed on a catchment basis if sustainable use of the natural resources is to be achieved.
