Economic Perspective 16 January 2026
- Jan 16
- 3 min read
The Latest Trending Economic News Curated for You by Balmoral Group Australia
Good morning readers,
This week we’re looking at water, weather and once again, mineral supply chains. The global water cycle is steady intensifying, with more erratic weather patterns and unexpected extreme events. This affects battery performance, and new research from Malaysia aims to optimise and scale up energy storage in humid, corrosion-accelerating tropical conditions, which could inform infrastructure designs in Northern Australia.
Next, a new valuation of Australian wetlands suggests government budgets should allocate between $170-60 million towards restoration for every 1000 hectares of marshes, mangroves and seagrass. Meanwhile, Treasurer Jim Chalmers is travelling to the US to discuss Australia’s $1.2 billion Critical Minerals Reserve Fund amid global clambering for supply chain dominance. Finally, this week we highlight the World Bank’s new Land Data Map, an interactive tool designed to explore the links between land and development priorities across key themes such as job growth, productivity, and land use optimisation.
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Hope you enjoy the articles and have a great weekend!
What is the global water cycle and how is it amplifying climate disasters?
The latest report from the Global Water Monitor has cemented concerns over intensifying climate instability worldwide. Vast water-weather cycles are shifting to be more powerful and erratic with rising temperatures, and the report found that “whiplash” weather patterns of heavy rainfall followed by intense heat and drying are becoming more common. Additionally, the frequency of tropical cyclones is rising, and the average number of days over 35°C (per month over global land area) is, unsurprisingly, trending upwards. Read more here.
Amping up battery insights in the tropics
New research from CSIRO in partnership with Malaysia’s Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) investigated battery performance in tropical conditions, such as those in northern Australia and our Southeast Asian and Pacific neighbours. Most battery performance evidence comes from cooler climates, and Malaysia needs tropic-specific research to support up-scaling and optimisation of energy storage systems, and shift to 70% renewable energy generation by 2050. The report reviewed six battery chemistries and found that consistent hot weather and high humidity can shorten battery life, especially from accelerated corrosion. Read more here.
Valuing coastal wetland restoration in Australia with discrete choice experiments
A recent publication in Ecological Economics aimed to valuate Australia coastal wetlands such as mangrove forests, tidal marshes and seagrass meadows, with significant policy implications. Using discrete choice experiments (carefully designed survey questionnaires), researchers found that 80.5% of respondents were willing to pay for increased protection and restoration efforts for these environments. Annual “willingness to pay” for restoration was highest for mangrove forests at $13.8 per household per 1000 hectares restored, and lowest for seagrasses at $3.06 per 1000 hectares. Findings have implications for conservation policy, translating to an annual national “willingness to pay” of between $165.9 and $62.6 million per 1000 hectares of restoration for all three wetland types. Read more here.
Delivering Australia's critical minerals supply
New details have been announced for the $1.2 billion critical minerals strategic reserve, securing rights to minerals extracted in Australia and establishing mechanisms for on-selling these rights to meet demand. The reserve includes $1 billion from the $5 billion Critical Minerals Facility, a fund providing government-back loans and equity support for projects, and another $185 million for mineral stockpiling and other implementation costs. The government’s mineral strategy focuses on antimony, gallium and rare earth elements, used in renewables, advanced manufacturing and military equipment. Treasurer Jim Chalmers is attending the G7+ ministers meeting in Washington DC this week to brief trade partners, including the US, Japan, South Korea, Europe, Canada and the UK, and while the meeting seems driven by the US’ anxiety over China’s critical mineral dominance, most nations are prioritising supply-chain readiness and investment realities rather than following the US’ strategic political push.
World Bank Land Data Map
The new interactive map contains country-level visuals around 8 economic and non-economic themes to provide a starting point for exploring how land data affects these. For instance,they estimate that on average, secure property rights are associated with 40% increases in agricultural output. This and more statistics can be found here.
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