Chairman of the Murray Darling Basin Authority, Craig Knowles, has presented the Basin Plan before the United Nations General Assembly late last week.

In presenting the plan before a collection of the world’s foremost water specialists, Mr Knowles discussed the important lessons learnt from the development of the Basin Plan.

"Science and evidence are critical, but without community support, they're not enough," Mr Knowles said.

The debate centred on practical solutions to sustainable development and climate change.

Particularly well received was Mr Knowles's strong acknowledgement of the late Aboriginal elder Tom Trevorrow's comments on managing the land with respect:

"Our traditional management plan was don't be greedy. Don't take any more than you need and respect everything around you. That's the management plan—it's such a simple management plan, but so hard for people to carry out."