Deciding on whether to irrigate in northern Australia, and if so what irrigation should look like, where it should be located, and how it should be managed, requires improved understanding of river and catchment attributes and the risks associated with irrigation. Various studies are underway to improve that understanding and ensure decisions are made with the best information available about the long term implications for tropical catchments. The Northern Australia Irrigation Futures (NAIF) project is funded by the Commonwealth Government and the Governments of Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory with the aim of providing new knowledge, tools and processes to support debate and decision making regarding irrigation in northern Australia.