Feb 2, 2004 - Peter Gehrke, Keith Bristow, Stuart Bunn, Michael Douglas, Brendan Edgar, ... Peter Gehrke1, Keith Bristow1, Stuart Bunn2, Michael Douglas3, ...
Land and Water
Sustainable Futures for Australia’s Tropical Rivers A strategy for developing research directions for Australia’s tropical river systems. Outcomes from a forum at Charles Darwin University 1-3 February 2004
Peter Gehrke, Keith Bristow, Stuart Bunn, Michael Douglas, Brendan Edgar, Max Finlayson, Stephen Hamilton, Neil Loneragan, Mark Lund, Richard Pearson, Ian Prosser and Chris Robson
CSIRO Land and Water Technical Report No 17/04 March 2004
Sustainable Futures for Australia’s Tropical Rivers A strategy for developing research directions for Australia’s tropical river systems.
Outcomes from a forum at Charles Darwin University, 1-3 February 2004
Peter Gehrke1, Keith Bristow1, Stuart Bunn2, Michael Douglas3, Brendan Edgar4, Max Finlayson5, Stephen Hamilton6, Neil Loneragan7, Mark Lund8, Richard Pearson9, Ian Prosser4 and Chris Robson10
CSIRO Land and Water, 2Griffith University, 3Charles Darwin University, 4Land & Water Australia, 5Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist, 6Michigan State University, 7CSIRO Marine Research, 8Edith Cowan University, 9James Cook University, 10 Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines 1
© 2004 CSIRO To the extent permitted by law, all rights are reserved and no part of this publication covered by copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means except with the written permission of CSIRO Land and Water. Important Disclaimer: CSIRO Land and Water advises that the information contained in this publication comprises general statements based on scientific research. The reader is advised and needs to be aware that such information may be incomplete or unable to be used in any specific situation. No reliance or actions must therefore be made on that information without seeking prior expert professional, scientific and technical advice. To the extent permitted by law, CSIRO Land and Water (including its employees and consultants) excludes all liability to any person for any consequences, including but not limited to all losses, damages, costs, expenses and any other compensation, arising directly or indirectly from using this publication (in part or in whole) and any information or material contained in it. Cover graphic design by Greg Rinder, CSIRO Land and Water ISSN1446-6171
4
Table of contents Forum context .........................................................................................................................................6 Program structure....................................................................................................................................7 Synthesis of forum presentations............................................................................................................7 a. National context and relative significance ......................................................................................7 b. Outlook for development and community needs ............................................................................8 c. Identification of knowledge needs ..................................................................................................8 d. National goals and how science can contribute .............................................................................9 Workshop plenary ...................................................................................................................................9 Group reports ........................................................................................................................................11 i. Drivers for the future.....................................................................................................................11 ii. Future management frameworks .................................................................................................12 iii. Supporting research needs ..........................................................................................................13 Key outcomes for future research .........................................................................................................14 Appendices............................................................................................................................................17 1. Scientific program and workshop structure ..................................................................................17 2. List of delegates ...........................................................................................................................19 3. Organisations represented ...........................................................................................................20
5
Forum context The forum on Sustainable Futures for Australia’s Tropical Rivers was convened by CSIRO in response to increasing social, political and business interest in the water resources of Northern Australia, recognising the need to be proactive in providing the scientific knowledge that is critical to guide current and future policy and decision-making on the use of these rivers. This initiative coincided with Land and Water Australia developing a Tropical Rivers Program to support investigations in tropical Australia. There is a long history of interest for northern development, and this is currently being fuelled by increasing pressure on water supply and river systems in southern Australia. Tropical rivers and groundwater systems contain roughly 70% of Australia’s fresh water resources, although there is a high level of uncertainty surrounding actual water availability because of the limited gauging network in many catchments. Water availability has been the driver of many grand schemes in the past, and this is likely to continue in the future, irrespective of the feasibility of such schemes. The development of tropical Australia is likely to result in conflicting responses as physical intervention to provide secure supplies of water will trigger responses in environmental processes as well as providing social benefits. The challenge for resource managers is to identify and avoid adverse outcomes. The objectives of the National Water Initiative include water access entitlements that are compatible across Australia, efficient national water markets, water pricing based on full cost recovery including delivery, planning and environmental costs, water management to deliver environmental outcomes, accurate systems for measuring, monitoring and reporting water use and availability, and efficient urban water use. These objectives are of direct relevance to developed and undeveloped river systems across tropical Australia. Ensuring the availability of appropriate scientific knowledge is crucial to support these objectives. Development of scientific understanding of rivers in key areas of southern Australia has largely been reactive in response to progressive rural and urban development. Whilst some tropical catchments have been extensively developed and are now the focus of environmental management efforts, many catchments are relatively unchanged from their natural condition. The combination of growing interest in water at a national level, regional development aspirations in the tropics, and the generally good ecological condition of tropical rivers provides a unique opportunity for science to be proactive in providing the information needs for sound management of Australia’s tropical rivers into the future. In a broader scientific context, tropical marine systems have been studied extensively for many years, and Australia is recognised as an international leader in this area. Similarly, the concentration of research effort in south-eastern Australian has greatly advanced understanding of temperate river systems, and has established a leadership role for Australian science. In contrast, Australian scientific involvement in tropical river systems is lagging behind its marine and temperate freshwater counterparts. Enhancing scientific capacity and knowledge of Australian tropical rivers will not only benefit Australia, but will also have flow-on effects to assist water management in other tropical countries. The objectives of the forum were to assemble and synthesise existing scientific knowledge of Australia’s tropical river systems, and to identify critical knowledge gaps to provide a launch pad for future research needs. The geographic scope of the forum covered rivers, floodplains, wetlands, estuaries and near-coastal systems spanning tropical Australia from Broome to Rockhampton. The approach adopted for the forum was to build a whole-of-river system analysis, examining the functioning of tropical rivers, their wetlands, estuaries and near-shore environments, and the impacts of land-use, water use and other activities. The timing of the forum is critical to develop partnerships and community networks across northern
6
Australia to build our knowledge of tropical river systems, before the pressures to increase the exploitation of this resource grow, and before policy and decision-makers are forced to act without underpinning scientific knowledge. The forum received outstanding support from a broad spectrum of scientific, government, industry, community, indigenous and conservation interests, with 117 registered participants from 42 organisations, reflecting the high level of interest in tropical river issues.
Program structure The forum was designed in two parts. The first component included reviews of existing scientific knowledge and management needs, based along the following themes: Theme 1 Present and future use and management of tropical river systems Theme 2 Aquatic ecosystem assets and threats to tropical rivers Theme 3 Tropical aquatic ecosystem processes Theme 4 Flow and connectivity in tropical river systems These review presentations were supported by poster presentations covering a range of more specific studies. Following the review of existing knowledge, the second component followed a workshop format to explore development options and implications, and to identify science needs to assist development and protect the unique values of tropical rivers and associated ecosystems. The forum benefited greatly from a keynote presentation and independent synthesis by Assoc. Prof. Stephen Hamilton, from the Kellogg Biological Station of Michigan State University.
Synthesis of forum presentations a.
National context and relative significance
Australia’s tropical rivers include some of the country’s most pristine river systems as well as some that have been significantly modified by water resource development, such as the Ord, Burdekin and Fitzroy (Qld). Tropical river systems, their wetlands and estuaries are important habitats from a biodiversity perspective, supporting higher levels of species diversity and endemism for many taxonomic groups such as aquatic plants, fishes and aquatic invertebrates than more southerly Australian river systems. Ecological communities show distinct biogeographic provinces that reflect regional geography and climatic patterns. Community composition is also relevant in an international context, as estuaries in northern Australia contain elements of broader Indo-West Pacific biological groups that have suffered greater disturbances in other locations. Australian estuaries therefore constitute biodiversity refuges of international significance. Rivers and springs have great cultural significance, especially among indigenous peoples who are closely attuned to flow cycles and resultant changes in abundance of the plant and animal life on which they depend. The quality and quantity of river flow to the coast is extremely important to the major biological and economic assets of the region. The waters of the Great Barrier Reef lagoon currently receive excessive nutrient and sediment loads from modified river catchments, threatening the reef itself and the tourism economy it supports, as well as inshore commercial and recreational fisheries and coastal habitats. The Northern Prawn Fishery is Australia’s largest Commonwealth managed fishery, and is highly dependent on maintenance of estuarine habitats and food web processes to maintain prawn populations and sustain the fishery. The interactions between catchment change, river flow cycles and water quality, estuarine and coastal productivity are not well understood. At this time, most
7
research on interactions between river catchments and coastal processes has been directed at the Great Barrier Reef region. b. Outlook for development and community needs Projections for human population growth and expansion of economic activities in the near term are low across most of the region, constrained in part by remoteness, a lack of supporting infrastructure, and the large proportion of land held by Aboriginal Title. The long held perception that the tropics hold abundant water resources for exploitation may be a myth produced by overly simplistic audit systems. There is no question that the region carries a large volume of runoff, but inadequate gauging networks and hydrological data mean that estimates of sustainable water yields, where they are available, are likely to be unreliable and may not account for the typically large seasonal and inter-annual variability. In a relative context, however, the quantities of water available are still many times larger than those in southern Australian catchments, and are likely to provide increasing incentives for growth of water-based industries in the future as southern catchments come under increasing pressure. Despite the availability of water, development of irrigated agriculture especially within tropical catchments may be limited by other factors, such as unsuitable soil types in some regions. Potential large-scale water projects are presently being considered for the Ord, Daly and Mitchell rivers. Competing values mean that in addition to direct exploitation by water industries, rivers are increasingly important for ecotourism and high-value recreational fisheries, increasing the economic value of undisturbed rivers. Because of the social, economic and environmental values associated with tropical rivers and the perception that these values increasingly may be threatened by changing human activities, local communities want more input into management decisions concerning these systems. Effective community engagement is made difficult because of the remoteness of many communities from centres of policy and decision-making, and economic activity. Distance from major population centres, combined with a mix of traditional and European cultures, make a challenging and complex social geography. Extensive community knowledge has been largely untapped by information gathering efforts to date, whilst traditional knowledge held by indigenous elders is being lost. The combination of the desire for local community involvement in decision making, and new legislation empowering aboriginal land management, means that conservation and natural resource management programs may have limited likelihood of success without the support of local communities. c. Identification of knowledge needs Foremost among the needs for information on tropical rivers is their dynamic range throughout the seasonal cycle and longer term climatic cycles, and the implications of this dynamic behaviour for their potential use. In this context, existing baseline hydrological monitoring is adequate for minimalist management purposes, but expansion and improvement of the existing gauge network is a necessary investment to develop the long-term hydrological data sets essential to underpin resource management decisions and policy under the National Water Initiative. Types of basic hydrological information required include flow processes in tidal estuarine reaches, especially those with large tidal ranges, estimation of floodplain flows, stage - discharge relationships at lowest and highest flows linked with flood forecasting and rainfall patterns. Estimation of sustainable water yield is subject to large levels of uncertainty in these systems, and would be vastly improved by enhanced gauging. There is a pressing need to manage hydrologic systems in an integrated fashion for both surface waters and ground water, and across the transition from freshwater to marine environments, including balanced water accounting systems that avoid double counting of water. Water budgeting also needs to address the ways that surface water and ground water interact to produce stream flow and sustain wetlands in different seasons. Baseline descriptive data exist for many ecological system components, but spatial and temporal coverage is patchy and ecosystems have been changing, presenting difficulties when interpolating available data among and within systems. There is an opportunity to make more use of innovative data sources, such as remote sensing and automated monitoring systems, for both routine data collection and specific information needs. Beyond the descriptive inventory data sets, little information is available on ecosystem processes and the resultant services provided by aquatic ecosystems. For example, methods for biological
8
assessment of ecological condition in tropical rivers require more development to deliver robust and sensitive indicators that can be applied across major regions. Existing indicators based on invertebrates or fish have been found to be poorly suited to some systems, generating questions about whether indicator species or habitat characteristics are most likely to be widely suitable. There is a growing need to understand ecological linkages among hydrologic subsystems, through interactions between ground water and surface water; river and floodplain habitats; freshwater, estuarine and marine coastal systems. The basal food resources for economically important food webs, supporting species such as prawns, barramundi and crocodiles, are poorly understood, so that there is insufficient knowledge about critical resources that should be protected to sustain these key resources. Related questions focus on how river-borne nutrients and sediments affect estuaries and coastal waters, and the mechanisms underlying the observed positive influence of river flow on fisheries. d. National goals and how science can contribute Science has played a key role to date in decision making and policy development with regard to tropical rivers, but mostly in reaction to perceived problems (e.g., mining, ocean pollution) as opposed to a proactive role in supporting conservation and management, or in devising sustainable options for economic and social development. For example, assessments such as the National Land and Water Resources Audit, and the National River Health Monitoring program have generated useful baseline information, but ratings of condition relative to other Australian regions may produce a false sense of security because of the degree of extrapolation from patchy data sets required to produce those assessments. There is an acknowledged need to build local capacity to conduct, interpret, and use research. This need must be balanced against the reality that much of the national research capacity is located elsewhere, dictating that much research will need to be done by external research providers in close consultation with local community representatives. This process may be facilitated by the provision of adequate training and resources so that research can become a core business for local government agencies. Continuity of scientific activities, which is most likely when the researchers are locally based, was perceived as an important issue from the perspective that management issues that rely on long-term or large-scale data sets are often discontinued prematurely once immediate needs have been met. It is likely that local drivers to support research continuity will be enhanced through greater interaction with local communities. A critical area for local capacity building will be developing ways to respond to climate change and rising sea levels. Whilst a solution to these issues is unlikely, understanding the consequences and rates of change is fundamental to planning processes to cope with the changes and thereby minimise impacts. Landscape analysis and systematic conservation planning are underway at scales from catchment to nationwide. Coordination of these activities for maximum efficiency relies on sharing of data among organisations. Whilst some organisations have intentionally open access policies on data availability, others have issues with confidentiality and cost recovery that prohibit open, free exchange of data. Transferability of information among catchments can potentially be improved by adopting consistent river classification systems across the tropics, allowing data to be extrapolated to similar systems to minimise duplication of effort. A number of technical questions arose concerning how to undertake activities such as river classification, risk assessment, and identification of conservation priorities. These activities need to be linked to future development scenarios to agree on a preferred vision for the future that includes development opportunities whilst maintaining social and economic values, as well as catchment condition and conservation priorities. Any preferred vision may need to balance ecosystem services against biodiversity values to develop conservation priorities and policies. As Commonwealth initiatives progress increasingly toward National Framework approaches to achieve consistent policy implementation, activities within tropical catchments will increasingly be required to demonstrate consistency with national policy to achieve local-scale priority objectives.
Workshop plenary Despite the knowledge gaps and paucity of critical data for much of Australia’s tropical river systems, we have an opportunity to learn from disturbed and undisturbed systems elsewhere with respect to managing environmental effects of water resource development. Understanding the characteristics of different ecosystem types is critical to allowing maximum use of information that can be transferred from other systems, including the capacity of systems to recover from disturbance, and their resilience
9
to both natural and human disturbance. Sensitivity of tropical river systems is likely to be a key issue in anticipating and planning for the effects of long-term climate change? There is a need to evaluate water extraction schemes in the context of their impacts on downstream environments. This balance between human appropriation of water and flows to sustain aquatic environments is likely to change between seasons, when there is an abundance of water in the wet season, whilst the dry season in many rivers depends on ground water to maintain flows. Interception of wet season flows has the capacity to reduce groundwater recharge, and diminish flows in the dry season, even though extraction may be restricted to wet season. This raises the question of the role of extreme events such as droughts and cyclones as drivers of riverine processes. Many rivers in northern Australia display a high level of ground water dependency, which is reflected in hydrological cycles, water quality, ecological processes and social values. Developing research approaches that integrate land and water management issues, rather than treating them in isolation, will provide an opportunity to identify connections between landscape-level phenomena, and manage them accordingly by applying dynamic systems approaches to address inter-relationships. There was strong recognition that social and economic dimensions must be part of the core of environmental research programs. Land managers have strong interests and experience in environmental management systems, and their knowledge and understanding should be included in developing management approaches. Including participation by these stakeholders in the core research will enhance our understanding and appreciation of cultural and economic values and services, as well as the ecological services provided by tropical rivers. Science is needed to define resource assets and the limits of their sustainable exploitation, and to set priorities to underpin targets for regional plans. Better knowledge of the long-term national and regional drivers is required to develop realistic development scenarios, and to explore the risks associated with each scenario. Future development aspirations for tropical river systems will be constrained by the degree of environmental change that is considered acceptable, and the conflicts that may arise among various land use activities and stakeholder groups. Within a national framework to ensure ecosystem health, it is unreasonable to expect that communities from different regions will have the same aspirations. Given this diversity of opinion and likelihood for disagreement, strong community education efforts will be needed to support local decisions with robust scientific information. These changes require effective monitoring, which is primarily a management agency responsibility. However, research may be needed to develop monitoring tools and approaches. It is critical that any research investment in a long term science effort for tropical river systems must have policy outcomes for local communities, northern regions and for the whole of Australia. Research that simply documents system decline is unlikely to be useful in protecting assets. For this reason, monitoring should fall into an adaptive management framework so that management can respond to improvements in scientific knowledge and options for development. There are clearly many questions that need to be answered if the objectives of the National Water Initiative are to be achieved. Historically it has been difficult to resource research when the benefits and costs are not clear. In undeveloped regions of tropical Australia, development plans are not well advanced or well articulated, making it difficult to identify specific information needs. The skills required to advance understanding and management of tropical rivers are fundamentally the same as in southern Australia, but with a stronger emphasis on seasonal changes, integration of large spatial scales, remote technologies, and social integration to meet future needs. Many of the potential threats can be identified from existing knowledge, but the likelihood of the threat being realised, and the consequences, determine that large-scale risk assessment approaches and predictive modelling should receive a high priority. The need for resource inventory and survey information in tropical systems is greater than in southern Australia because of the relative paucity of tropical studies. In contrast, there is less requirement for impact identification studies because the history of impact studies in other regions has not contributed as significantly as it might to finding solutions to environmental problems.
10
Because of the vastness of tropical Australia, there are obvious advantages to coordinating research on tropical rivers to maximise the transferability of results among regions, and to add value to preexisting knowledge across different spatial and temporal scales. Such coordination will add value to prior and future work, and will help build the critical mass necessary to ensure the effectiveness of research efforts. Representative ecosystems must be chosen for study, with a regionalisation scheme to aid in extrapolating the results to the broader region in which those ecosystems occur. The need to sustainably utilise tropical river systems and their catchments while avoiding degradation of their environmental, social and cultural values raises the need for innovative institutional arrangements to transfer knowledge into policy. A fundamental assumption underlying this forum is that northern catchments will be developed. This assumption does not distinguish the types of development desired by communities, nor the specific plans of individual communities. The aspirations of stakeholders in catchments may require social research to inform policy on river development, as well as an understanding of the social, economic and environmental drivers for tropical rivers. Determining priorities for scientific research, conservation, and management over varying spatial and temporal scales presents a number of challenges, partly because research to date has tended to focus on key locations for relatively brief periods of time. Consequently the knowledge map of tropical rivers emerges as a fragmented information mosaic rather than a uniformly clear picture. Elements of this picture are likely to be clarified by developing knowledge partnerships that share information among traditional land owners, existing landholders, management agencies and the scientific community. Confidentiality of information, and cost recovery requirements of some institutions may require special attention to maximise information sharing. Governments have a role in making strategic investments to support development in the national or regional interest. Costs associated with strategic infrastructure development, not to mention environmental degradation, have rarely been reflected in the pricing of food and water, despite the intent of the CoAG Water Reform Framework for pricing to reflect full costs. The social consequences of development decisions, and implications for future generations with respect to environmental sustainability, require a combined social, economic and environmental research approach in the same manner as anywhere else in Australia, but with the added consideration of the cultural links of Aboriginal people who live closely with river environments. Environmental changes resulting from water development will have social and cultural implications for regional communities.
Group reports Workshop groups were asked to consider: (i) the drivers of research in tropical river systems; (ii) the social context for research and development; (iii) processes to develop large scale research and development programs with limited capacity, especially with regard to human capital and funding; and (iv) priorities for future research and development in the face of a wide range of interests and regional objectives. Despite the limited participation within this forum of community representatives who could discuss aspirations for individual regions, regional objectives ranged from maintaining current condition, minimising historical impacts in catchments that have already been subject to water development, and economic development of catchments that have received little development in the past. Reporting from group discussions is summarised below.
i.
Drivers for the future
There is a sense of urgency to develop high-level research directions for Australia’s tropical river systems, because many future development scenarios are already happening, albeit on a limited scale, and development pressures are likely to grow in the next 10-20 years. The key question for research is how can the impacts be managed, minimised or contained. The ultimate effectiveness of
11
management programs is itself a key research question to be addressed through adaptive management. Drivers of future scenarios include: • Agricultural expansion and land release for large-scale development • Large-scale water resource development • Increased water harvesting (e.g. floodplain development, small dams, groundwater extraction) • Aquaculture expansion (freshwater, estuarine and marine) • Mining expansion • Spread of pest species, including plants, terrestrial and aquatic animals • Climate variability impacts, including sea-level rise and resultant saltwater intrusion • Social pressures, e.g. development to provide regional employment These scenarios are likely to occur in an interactive and cumulative fashion, so that direct impacts may not immediately be noticed, or at least ascribed to particular causes. By the time adverse impacts are apparent, options to manage their causes will be limited. Research drivers in these scenarios need to be based around understanding and predicting impacts in advance, and developing ways to mitigate or eliminate adverse outcomes. Estimation of the likelihood of occurrence for predicted impacts provides the basis for a more comprehensive risk assessment process. Monitoring programs to detect social and environmental change are essential components of development planning so that unexpected outcomes can be identified and managed as soon as they are detected. On-going evaluation also provides feedback on whether risks are realised, allowing continual improvement in risk management strategies. It is critical in regions with patchy information bases that monitoring programs are designed to maximise transferability of results to other systems where specific information may be lacking. In this way, information systems can be built for the entire region in a cost-effective manner. Other scenarios act to mitigate adverse effects. For instance, the existence of stable pastoral industries may discourage the introduction of new activities that rely on more intensive use of the land or water. Ecotourism and cultural tourism provide an economic return from protecting natural environments and Aboriginal cultures in close to their natural state. It is also likely that improved knowledge of environmental and social responses to development of water resources will assist formulation of policy and decision-making to avoid or mitigate adverse impacts on river systems. Mitigating influences include: • Pastoral industry • Ecotourism • Natural resource industries, e.g. fishing • Preservation of cultural values • Conservation ii.
Future management frameworks
Science, natural resource management, water resource development and social expectations of a preferred future need to be linked into a common natural resource management framework that captures the whole-of-catchment scale. The historical tendency to separate land use and river and coastal zone management has contributed to environmental degradation through a lack of awareness of the consequences of resource decisions for downstream environments, which often extend beyond rivers into coastal waters. Adopting frameworks that operate at the catchment scale provides the capacity to identify possible adverse outcomes, or opportunities for identifying the cause of environmental problems. Hierarchical frameworks allow variable resolution to focus on different scales of landscape units within a given catchment. A further advantage of hierarchical frameworks is that they can be adapted around naturally-occurring features of riverine landscapes, from catchments, through tributary systems, estuaries and coastal waters, down to individual habitat patches. All frameworks rely on a number of underlying assumptions. It is critical for successful management that the assumptions be identified, and validated by appropriate research. A robust framework
12
provides a useful tool and context for managing the expectations of stakeholders, and may also be expanded to guide application across catchments or other spatial units. Trade-offs are an explicit part of most frameworks so that the environmental and social reactions to development actions can be communicated in advance. It is no longer acceptable to suggest that environmental responses to development were unexpected, with the consequences of changing water flows having become widely acknowledged in the last 20 years. Frameworks for managing development actions need to make environmental and social reactions explicit so that the consequences, whether specifically predicted or not, can be expected, researched and understood, and adverse outcomes avoided where possible. A challenge for natural resource frameworks is to make them flexible enough to cope with multiple objectives. A critical component of such frameworks is the mechanism for capturing knowledge, sharing intellectual property and indigenous knowledge. Effective management relies on a sound knowledge base to influence decision making at all levels of government, industry and communities. Capacity for providing knowledge needs in tropical Australia is limited outside major population centres because of the remoteness and distance from centres of decision-making. Partnerships between research providers, government agencies, catchment groups and communities need to be developed with a view to increasing capacity to monitor environmental processes, such as river flows and groundwater dynamics, through establishing and supporting longterm observation networks. Development of a research strategy for tropical Australia will require: i. Consultation with all levels of government, community and industry to involve the necessary interests from the beginning, and to draw on their collective knowledge of the problems at stake and the desired future outcomes; ii. On-going communication among stakeholders to maintain engagement and commitment. iii. Identification of cash and in-kind resources to support the research iv. Commitment to supply and develop capacity to undertake research and implement outcomes v. Selection of reference or focus catchments for strategic issues relevant to multiple locations. vi. Coordination across scientific disciplines and government jurisdictions
iii.
Supporting research needs
Evaluation of research needs for Australia’s tropical river systems requires a searchable database to allow comprehensive review of existing information. This has already been initiated by Land & Water Australia, with data to third parties to be made available through the Australian Natural Resources Atlas. Processes for dealing with confidential information, and the cost of generating and providing information also need to be addressed. There is an acknowledged need for a broad typology of tropical river systems (see Future Management Frameworks) to ensure that research programs provide representative coverage of different river types, and to assist with transferability of information between regions and projects. Social and economic research is required to inform natural resource management decisions on sustainable agricultural systems with respect to land capability and operating costs. Foremost among these is the need to identify the preferred future for tropical societies, based on their values and environmental assets. Subsequently, an assessment is required of conservation measures that are supported by the community. Reliable valuation of ecosystem services in economic terms is also fundamental to framing research questions to protect key environmental assets. Tropical river systems in Australia are subject to greater seasonal variability than rivers in other regions as a result of the monsoonal climate, and the compatibility of water resource development with maintenance of ecological integrity is likely to raise different questions than those being addressed in southern regions.
13
Potential research themes emerge at pan-tropical scales, covering larger issues that span multiple catchments and jurisdictions, and which may have international implications for neighbouring countries, and catchment-based scales that tend to be more focused on specific issues within individual catchments. The hierarchy of issues is similar across scales, differing in the level of detail and transferability required. i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Environmental • River ecosystem structure and function, including hydrology, material fluxes and processes, responses to changes in flow, riparian and floodplain linkages, estuarine and coastal linkages, and groundwater interactions. This issue addresses the fundamental question, ‘How do tropical rivers work?” • Typology, to assist transferability of knowledge across catchments. This issue poses the question ‘Do other rivers work the same way?’ • Capacity to predict change, or ‘How will this system change?’ • Ecological information for biodiversity conservation and management, or ‘What information is needed to protect key environmental values?’ • Landscape mosaics to preserve ecosystem function need to be understood to answer ‘What parts of the catchment landscape and hidden connections are important for integrated planning?’ • Monitoring and evaluation of resource condition (biological, surface and groundwater, physical resources), linked to scenarios of future changes in key drivers. This information is essential to answer ‘What would happen if… ?’ • Risk assessment and risk mapping associated with identified threat or development scenarios, or drivers of change, including clearing, grazing, roads, rail, mines, climate change, sea level rise. This issue asks ‘What are the tradeoffs for specific development options?’ Social • What do people value about tropical river systems? • What vision do people have for the future of their rivers? • What targets are required to measure progress toward the preferred future? • Are parts of the vision incompatible? • How can we resolve conflicting visions for the future? Cultural • What are the values and aspirations of indigenous communities with respect to their river systems and visions for the future? Economic • Valuation of industry sectors (fisheries, agriculture, mining, tourism) and environmental goods and services. • Valuation of non-marketable commodities (i.e., water quality, soil protection, wildlife, scenery) Institutional • Provision for information gathering on appropriate spatial and temporal scales • Improving accuracy and reliability of existing information
Key outcomes for future research i.
Estimates of water yield are based on inadequate gauging networks and hydrological data, with the result that estimates of sustainable water yields, where they are available, are likely to be unreliable and may not account for the likely range of behaviour of hydrologic systems. There is a need for improved investment in water accounting systems and associated infrastructure, supported by research to improve the cost-effectiveness of water measurement. Opportunities include automated, remote, smart-sensor systems.
ii.
Local communities, and especially Aboriginal people, have a strong sense of ownership of their local environment, and can have strong social and cultural requirements with regard to water management. Effective communication and engagement with local communities in developing research and development programs is important to ensure the needs of local communities are met, and that local expertise can contribute to the program.
14
iii.
Discussion sessions during this forum did not present a strong cohesive view of regional aspirations for the future. Tropical Australia covers a wide area of diverse community interests, so that a focussed program of social and economic research would be advisable to identify what people want within their regions and how different options for development may create conflicts among social sectors or with traditional resource uses.
iv.
The implications of seasonality of rainfall and flow for tropical river systems are not well understood, so that the implications of changes in surface or groundwater flow are difficult to predict. Consequently, the implications of long-term climate change are also uncertain, making it difficult to formulate long-term planning policies that provide adequate protection for river systems. There is a need for further fundamental research into the dynamics of hydrological functions of tropical river systems to support development of community aspirations and planning processes.
v.
Ecosystem processes and services within tropical river systems are poorly understood. Further research is needed to identify whole-of-system links, material fluxes, and trophic linkages that drive productivity from tributaries and riparian zones to coastal marine environments.
vi.
Data collection over the wide range of river systems in tropical Australia is likely to be expensive because of the geographical scope of the area of interest. Costs of data collection can be reduced by developing a comprehensive river classification system of representative river types that will allow greater transferability of information among functionally-similar river systems.
vii.
Indicators to track environmental condition over time, and appropriate monitoring and evaluation systems, are not generally available for most rivers. It is essential that understanding of tropical river systems can be reflected as a suite of indicators that track environmental responses to change in order to assess impacts of development and to help formulate appropriate management actions.
viii.
Tropical river systems are characterised by more pronounced seasonal patterns than many rivers in southern Australia, but with greater consistency from year to year. Episodic events, such as cyclones, provide an unpredictable cycle of disturbance. The different climatic drivers of tropical river systems mean that concepts of ecosystem resilience and recovery from disturbance are likely to differ from the better-known responses of rivers in temperate climates, making responses of tropical rivers to disturbance difficult to predict.
ix.
The array of possible threats to tropical rivers is so diverse that large sums of money could potentially be invested in understanding the consequences of threats that are unlikely to occur. Development of risk assessment approaches for specific drivers and scenarios, coupled with risk mapping and predictive modelling is required to allow a strategic investment in areas of greatest risk.
x.
Processes at catchment scales tend to occur over relatively long periods of time, so that short-term assessments may not reflect the degree or rate of change. There is a need for strategic long-term data collection to build the information on which to base sound policy.
xi.
There is a growing trend toward viewing catchment landscapes as mosaics of differing geographical features and land uses. Research into the roles of different landscape features, such as forests, wetlands, mangroves, and grasslands, is needed to aid integrated planning processes for multiple catchment uses.
xii.
Transfer of scientific knowledge into policy.
xiii.
Practical models for capacity-building in tropical river science so that local entities can conduct environmental monitoring and research into the future.
15
xiv.
Conservation of tropical river systems needs to reflect the hierarchical organisation of drainage systems, from drainage divisions and river basins down to subcatchments and river reaches, including groundwater and coastal-zone systems. Frameworks for river conservation are needed that can protect ecological values, supported by long-term investment in data collection to provide iterative feedback on the effectiveness of conservation management.
xv.
The environmental assets of Australia’s tropical rivers are incompletely documented, and therefore are difficult to manage or protect. Accordingly, an on-going component of long-term data collection activities should be to compile an inventory of assets accumulated from sequential investigations.
xvi.
There are relatively few river systems that cross State jurisdictional boundaries in tropical Australia, simplifying coordination among jurisdictions. However, owing to the remoteness of many tropical rivers, economic incentives may encourage a cooperative approach among States and the Commonwealth to data collection to increase efficiency, such as via remote sensing capabilities and gauging networks.
xvii.
Because of the small economic base for investing in research in most regions of tropical Australia, partnerships and shared institutional arrangements will be vital to ensure maximum information return for research investment. Partnerships such as cooperative research centres, consortia of funding bodies, networks of research institutions, and community organisations will be required to avoid duplication of effort and synergies between communities, government, research providers and industry groups.
16
Appendices 1.
Scientific program and workshop structure
Sustainable Futures for Australia’s Tropical Rivers: The role of science in managing tropical rivers, wetlands, estuaries and coastal ecosystems Day One 8:45 8:50 9:00
2 February 2004 Welcome Opening Address Keynote address: Ecological considerations for conservation and management of tropical rivers and floodplains Theme 1 Present and future use and management of tropical rivers Chair 9:30 Present and future use and management of tropical rivers: a Queensland perspective 9:50 An overview of present and future uses and management of tropical rivers in the Northern Territory 10:10 Managing tropical rivers: Western Australia 10:30 Research and management of Australian tropical rivers: Indigenous perspectives 10:50
Theme 3 Tropical aquatic ecosystem processes Chair 13:40 Australia’s tropical rivers - surface water hydrology -
14:20 14:40 15:00
Richard Pearson Don Begbie David Ritchie Susan Worley Sue Jackson and Michael Storrs
Morning Tea
Theme 2 Aquatic ecosystem assets and threats to tropical rivers Chair 11:10 Aquatic ecosystem assets, and threats to tropical rivers 11:30 A sustainable future for Australia’s tropical wetlands: maintenance of their ecological character and drivers of change 11:50 Tropical Australian Estuaries: Assets and threats, scientific gaps, needs, future research 12:10 Geomorphology of Australian tropical rivers and floodplains and its relevance to sustainable development. 12:30 Theme discussion 12:40 Lunch
14:00
Peter Gehrke Helen Garnett Steve Hamilton
Interaction between groundwater and surface water in the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia Sediments and nutrients in Australian tropical rivers: Changes with agricultural development Nutrient and sediment export from monsoonal river systems of northern Australia Afternoon Tea
Theme 3 Tropical aquatic ecosystem processes (continued) Chair 15:20 Biogeochemistry and primary production in Australian tropical estuaries 15:40 Communities and food webs of tropical wetlands and rivers 16:10
Processes affecting tropical estuarine and coastal productivity
16:30 16:50 17:00
A national framework for protection of Australia’s high conservation rivers - the tropics Theme discussion Close Day 1
19:00
Forum Dinner – Mirambeena Resort
Day Two 3 February 2004 Theme 4 Flow and connectivity in tropical river systems Chair 8:30 Can we understand flow requirements for community-level responses? A Queensland perspective on macroinvertebrates, fish, riparian vegetation and benthic metabolism 8:50
Flow regimes, flow events, fluvial habitats and freshwater fish: a north-eastern Australian perspective.
9:10
Flow requirements for fisheries production in tropical estuaries.
Stuart Bunn Richard Pearson Max Finlayson Steve Blaber Wayne Erskine
Keith Bristow Clare Taylor Peter Jolly Jon Brodie Miles Furnas
Max Finlayson Ian Webster Michael Douglas and Stuart Bunn Peter Rothlisberg, Michelle Burford and Neil Loneragan Richard Kingsford
Michael Douglas Chris Marshall, Jon Marshal, Peter Negus and Satish Choy Brad Pusey, Mark Kennard and Angela Arthington Julie Robins, Ian Halliday, Jonathan Staunton-Smith and David Mayer
17
9:30
Flow and ecology of the Daly River
Naomi Rea
9:50
What we know and what we don’t: Australian tropical rivers data collation project
10:10 10:30 10:40
Developing northern Australia: are we learning the lessons? A case study of the Ord River. Theme Discussion Morning Tea
Special presentations
Theme 5
Science needs for managing Australia's tropical river systems
Facilitator
Dianne Flett
11:00
Richard Booth, Brendan Edgar, Michael Douglas, Paul Harris and Bruce Gray Mark Lund
Workshop
Synthesis of emerging themes from presentations and posters
Steve Hamilton
11:30
Plenary discussion: - setting the context for research on tropical rivers
12:30
Lunch
13:30 Group discussions i) What are the drivers behind tropical rivers research? ii) What is the social context for research and development? iii) How to progress large scale research and development with limited personnel and funding? iv) What are the priorities for research and development, and are there conflicting values 15:30
Afternoon Tea
15:45
Summary of group discussions
16:30
Close
18
2.
List of delegates
Allan Adolphson Alan Andersen Sally Atkins Fiona Barron Rebecca Bartley Peter Bayliss Don Begbie Alice Beilby Andrew Berghuis Steve Blaber Stuart Blanch Keith Bristow Jon Brodie Andrew Brooks Stuart Bunn Miriam Cleary Sarah Connor Larissa Cordner Matt Darcey Paul Donohoe Peter Dostine Michael Douglas Ashwin Dyall Geoff Dyne Rachel Eberhand Brendan Edgar Wayne Erskine John Etty Judy Faulks Max Finlayson Dianne Flett Samantha Fox Miles Furnas George Ganf Peter Gehrke Peter Gilbey John Gilmour Bruce Gray
Roland Griffin Fiorenzo Guarino Ralf Haese Trevor Haig Ian Halliday Steve Hamilton Michelle Handley Paul Harris John Harrison Kylie Harvey David Heggie Kerry Heit Brett Herbert Alf Hogan Valerie Hristova Chris Humphrey Sue Jackson Peter James Malcolm Johnson Peter Jolly Bart Kellett Rod Kennett Ilse Kiessling Richard Kingsford Sally Kirby Frederieke Kroon Helen Larson Tracey Leo Mike Letnic Garry Lindner Paul Lloyd Neil Loneragan John Lowry John Ludwig John Lumb Mark Lund Chris Marshall Jonathan Marshall
Dugald McGlashan Maryanne McKaige Emma Murray Jonathon Nadji Peter Negus Conall O'Connell Armando Padovan Richard Pearson Bob Pidgeon Brad Pusey Naomi Rea David Ritchie Peter Rothlisberg John Russell Ramsis Salama Royce Sample Bruce Sawye Alex Smajgl Andy Steven Michael Storrs Geoff Strickland Pascale Taplin Clare Taylor Simon Townsend Tanya Vernes Andrew Walke Jeremy Wallace Bob Wasson Ian Webster Michael Welch Chris Wicks Gerry Wood Susan Worley Carolynne Yates Stephen Yeates Anja Zimmermann
19
3.
Organisations represented
Commonwealth government: Australian Institute of Marine Science CSIRO (Mathematical and Information Sciences; Land and Water; Marine Research; Plant Industry; Sustainable Ecosystems; CSIRO Publishing) Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Department of Environment and Heritage Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist Geoscience Australia Kakadu National Park Land & Water Australia Natural Heritage Trust State government: Western Australia: Department of Environment Northern Territory: Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development Department of Environment and Heritage Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment Northern Territory Museum Parks and Wildlife Service of the Northern Territory Queensland: Department of Natural Resources and Mines Department of Primary Industries Environment Protection Agency New South Wales: Department of Environment and Conservation State Forests of NSW Catchment groups: Mitchell River Group Victoria River District Conservation Association Conservation groups: Greening Australia The Wilderness Society World-Wide Fund for Nature Universities: Australian National University Charles Darwin University Edith Cowan University Griffith University James Cook University Michigan State University University of Adelaide University of Canberra Cooperative Research Centres: Australian Cotton CRC CRC for Freshwater Ecology CRC for Tropical Savannas Community Groups: Amateur Fishermen’s Association of the Northern Territory Northern Lands Council Northern Territory Horticulture Association Private companies: Ecoz Environmental Services EWL Sciences NGIS Australia URS Australia
20
