Many of the ecosystems supported by Australia’s rivers, wetlands, estuaries and near-shore coastal zones are degraded or under threat from lack of water or poor water quality. This is of widespread concern to governments, industry and communities due to the important role these systems play in maintaining a healthy environment and their intrinsic value in Australia’s natural heritage.
CSIRO is committed to providing the knowledge to protect and rehabilitate Australia’s major aquatic ecosystems while enabling sustainable use of water resources.
Our challenge is to better understand how ecosystems respond to changes in climate, and water availability and quality. This knowledge can then be used to guide management of water systems and land-based actions to ensure sustainable ecological, economic and social outcomes. This will enable improved environmental decision-making and management of Australia's aquatic ecosystems.
CSIRO is also working to understand and engage in the policy, planning and implementation processes of national and regional water management which underpin environmental protection. This is vital to provide reliable protection for ecological assets in water resource plans.
