Multi-Objective Optimal Operation of Urban Water Supply Systems. In recent past, there has been a significant shift away from development of new water resources to optimal operation of existing reservoir systems. This project aims to develop a decision support framework to determine optimum operating rules of existing reservoir systems that consider a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, with a strong focus on decision analysis of alternative operating rules. The results of the ....Multi-Objective Optimal Operation of Urban Water Supply Systems. In recent past, there has been a significant shift away from development of new water resources to optimal operation of existing reservoir systems. This project aims to develop a decision support framework to determine optimum operating rules of existing reservoir systems that consider a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, with a strong focus on decision analysis of alternative operating rules. The results of the project will enable water planners to manage their urban water systems efficiently and effectively under a range of long term and short term planning conditions including droughts, while reducing associated environmental impacts.Read moreRead less
Understanding cultural and ecological triggers for policies against water catchment degradation. You cannot step into the same river twice. This project aims to understand the co-evolution of science, culture and management policy in water catchment for improving the predictability and preciseness of the water management policy.
Animals on the move - an integrated approach to selecting conservation reserves under climate change. Conserving biodiversity when faced with rapid changes in climate and land use is a major challenge facing conservation managers. Translocation - the process of moving species from one location to another - may be the best means of preventing species extinction, but the long-term climatic suitability of translocation sites is rarely considered. This project will develop and apply new methods for ....Animals on the move - an integrated approach to selecting conservation reserves under climate change. Conserving biodiversity when faced with rapid changes in climate and land use is a major challenge facing conservation managers. Translocation - the process of moving species from one location to another - may be the best means of preventing species extinction, but the long-term climatic suitability of translocation sites is rarely considered. This project will develop and apply new methods for identifying climatically suitable habitats for a critically endangered tortoise, with the aim of selecting sites where the species can persist long-term with minimum management. The approach will have utility not only for management of endangered species, but also in selecting future climatic regions for raising commercially valuable species. Read moreRead less
An innovative approach to maximising catchment water yield in a changing climate. Australia is facing a crisis in water availability and management within many of the continent's major cities and the Murray-Darling and Sydney Basins. Risk to water resources will also be exacerbated by climate change. Past solutions of increasing water supply by building dams are no longer easily implemented because of the significant environmental consequences. To maximise yield, better management of current res ....An innovative approach to maximising catchment water yield in a changing climate. Australia is facing a crisis in water availability and management within many of the continent's major cities and the Murray-Darling and Sydney Basins. Risk to water resources will also be exacerbated by climate change. Past solutions of increasing water supply by building dams are no longer easily implemented because of the significant environmental consequences. To maximise yield, better management of current resources is required, dependent on understanding what factors affect water yield and how they may be better manipulated. This project innovatively integrates ecological and hydrological processes by modelling the expression of water use by vegetation and its management and water availability at fine resolutions.Read moreRead less
Mitigation of Impacts on Groundwater Dependent Vegetation Through Adaptive Abstraction Regimes. Apart from loss of habitat, biodiversity, ecological function and aesthetics, tree decline and death is a financial burden to land managers. Lost groundwater production from existing borefield infrastructure due to environmental risk also represents a significant economic loss to industry. By adapting borefield operation strategies to be more sympathetic to environmental demands for groundwater, susta ....Mitigation of Impacts on Groundwater Dependent Vegetation Through Adaptive Abstraction Regimes. Apart from loss of habitat, biodiversity, ecological function and aesthetics, tree decline and death is a financial burden to land managers. Lost groundwater production from existing borefield infrastructure due to environmental risk also represents a significant economic loss to industry. By adapting borefield operation strategies to be more sympathetic to environmental demands for groundwater, sustainable use of the resource can be maximized under otherwise 'high-risk' scenarios. This project will result in environmental benefits such as reduced impacts of borefields and economic benefits such as recovery of lost production from 'high-risk' borefields, increased viability of planned schemes and reduced customer cost of water services.Read moreRead less
Restoring hydrological connectivity of surface and ground waters: Biogeochemical processes and environmental benefits for river landscapes. This project examines the restoration of lateral hydrological connectivity to improve floodplain structure and function. The connections between stream flows and both shallow groundwaters and floodplains are critical in sustaining river landscapes. Degrading land and water management practices compounded by natural climatic extremes have severed this link. ....Restoring hydrological connectivity of surface and ground waters: Biogeochemical processes and environmental benefits for river landscapes. This project examines the restoration of lateral hydrological connectivity to improve floodplain structure and function. The connections between stream flows and both shallow groundwaters and floodplains are critical in sustaining river landscapes. Degrading land and water management practices compounded by natural climatic extremes have severed this link. Restoring hydrological connectivity is vital for replenishing groundwater storage and increasing base flows that affect fundamental riverine processes. Using an innovative approach to sustainable agriculture, our project unites multidisciplinary scientific and industry expertise to investigate the biogeochemical and biophysical effects of secondary floodplain channels and in-stream structures on riverine groundwater processes.Read moreRead less
New approach to sensitivity assessment of complex simulation models for environmental management. The aims are (1) to develop new techniques that improve and extend the capabilities of sensitivity analysis of large and complex computer models for environmental management; and (2) with the industry partners, to test these techniques on models for salinity management in the Murray-Darling Basin. The project's significance is in providing new techniques able to answer a range of model users? questi ....New approach to sensitivity assessment of complex simulation models for environmental management. The aims are (1) to develop new techniques that improve and extend the capabilities of sensitivity analysis of large and complex computer models for environmental management; and (2) with the industry partners, to test these techniques on models for salinity management in the Murray-Darling Basin. The project's significance is in providing new techniques able to answer a range of model users? questions at acceptable computational cost, for complex models with outputs measured in a wide variety of ways. The outcomes will be new sensitivity assessment tools and experience of their use in an environmental application of great importance to Australia.Read moreRead less
Identifying critical thresholds to prioritise lake restoration. This project aims to conduct a global assessment of lake water quality and prioritise lakes for restoration. This project expects to generate new understanding of trends in lake condition based on application of geospatial frameworks and models for nutrient loads and in-lake trophic state. This information will help to quantify the magnitude of actions required to restore lakes at landscape scale. The intended outcome is a global at ....Identifying critical thresholds to prioritise lake restoration. This project aims to conduct a global assessment of lake water quality and prioritise lakes for restoration. This project expects to generate new understanding of trends in lake condition based on application of geospatial frameworks and models for nutrient loads and in-lake trophic state. This information will help to quantify the magnitude of actions required to restore lakes at landscape scale. The intended outcome is a global atlas linking catchment hydrology, nutrient loads and lake attributes. Expected outcomes of this project include improved methods to predict effects of land use and climate change on lakes across the globe, and recommendations to water resource managers on investing in the restoration of lakes across the landscape.Read moreRead less
Ecohydrological feedbacks between vegetation and soil in natural and engineered landforms in arid Australia. We address 'An Environmentally Sustainable Australia'. 1. Water is the binding factor in our project, defining vegetation, geomorphology and hydrology. 2. Rehabilitation is an integral part of the mining business. Our project is instrumental in developing ecological engineering approaches to rehabilitation. 3. Ultimate goal of the project is to develop stable landforms, protecting underly ....Ecohydrological feedbacks between vegetation and soil in natural and engineered landforms in arid Australia. We address 'An Environmentally Sustainable Australia'. 1. Water is the binding factor in our project, defining vegetation, geomorphology and hydrology. 2. Rehabilitation is an integral part of the mining business. Our project is instrumental in developing ecological engineering approaches to rehabilitation. 3. Ultimate goal of the project is to develop stable landforms, protecting underlying rock. 4. We investigate locally adapted native plant species for use in arid-zone land rehabilitation, to preserve biodiversity. 5. The area of study is exposed to long droughts and cyclonic rainfall. Understanding the resilience of the landscape will provide pivotal insight into the impact and potential adaptive response to climate variability.Read moreRead less
Systemic and adaptive water governance: lessons for Australia from China and South Africa. The way we manage catchments under climate change is one of Australia’s major public policy challenges. This project will give new direction to catchment management by developing a science-policy linked, systemic and adaptive water governance mechanism. By recommending policy options for more sustainable water use and creating favourable social-institutional factors for the implementation of these policy o ....Systemic and adaptive water governance: lessons for Australia from China and South Africa. The way we manage catchments under climate change is one of Australia’s major public policy challenges. This project will give new direction to catchment management by developing a science-policy linked, systemic and adaptive water governance mechanism. By recommending policy options for more sustainable water use and creating favourable social-institutional factors for the implementation of these policy options in two Australian catchment authorities through comparative and parallel research in China and South Africa. This project directly addresses the national priority goals of “Water - a critical resource” and “Responding to climate change”. This project will also stress Australia's important role in this globally significant issue. Read moreRead less