Red Gums under stress along Monoman Creek on the Chowilla Floodplain.

Science improving the ecological health of the Basin

Reference: 08/206

Scientists and water managers from around the Murray-Darling Basin will meet in Sydney this week to discuss how the health of ecosystems across the Basin will respond to future water availability in the context of a changing climate.

5 November 2008

More than 100 researchers and water managers from states across the Murray-Darling Basin will share their knowledge on ecosystem modelling to help improve our understanding of the water needs of the environment and to share best practice in managing environmental water allocations.

The meeting is jointly hosted by CSIRO’s Water for a Healthy Country Flagship, the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) and the Australian Government’s Water Smart Australia program.

“Researchers are creating models that link ecological responses to changes in water flow regimes. These models will help determine the water requirements for sustainable healthy ecosystems,”

Ian Overton says.

Co-organiser Ian Overton from CSIRO says researchers will share their approaches to modelling the environment to aid water managers in their task of restoring the environmental health of the Basin’s rivers, wetlands and floodplains.

“Researchers are creating models that link ecological responses to changes in water flow regimes. These models will help determine the water requirements for sustainable healthy ecosystems,” Ian Overton says.

“Most importantly, these models are tools that can be used to investigate trade offs between environmental, economic and social benefits from the future allocation of a shrinking water resource,” he says.

“Through this meeting we can share our approaches to data management, ecosystem modelling and the application of these models for the development of water management plans. Determining environmental water requirements is critical to the new Basin Plan to be developed by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority under the Commonwealth Water Act 2007”.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday November 5, to Thursday November 6, at Olympic Park, Sydney.

National Research Flagships

CSIRO initiated the National Research Flagships to provide science-based solutions in response to Australia’s major research challenges and opportunities. The nine Flagships form multidisciplinary teams with industry and the research community to deliver impact and benefits for Australia.

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