www.environment.gov.au/soe soe 2011 – inland water chapter overview this presentation is one of a...
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www.environment.gov.au/soe
SoE 2011 – Inland water chapter overview
This presentation is one of a series of Australia State of the Environment 2011 (SoE 2011) presentations given by SoE Committee members and departmental staff following the release of the SoE 2011.
This material was developed to be delivered as part of an oral presentation. The full report should be referred to for understanding the context of this information.
For more information please refer to:http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/index.htmlOr contact the SoE team via email:[email protected]
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www.environment.gov.au/soe
New cover page
Presentation – Inland water chapter overviewPhoto: Aerial view of the Pilbara, by Andrew Griffiths, Lensaloft
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www.environment.gov.au/soe
State of the Environment reporting has improved
SoE 2011 is the fourth independent national assessment
Detailed analyses, wide range of information sources, comprehensively referenced, includes outlooks
Rigorous and transparent peer review process
High relevance to decision-makers and environmental managers
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www.environment.gov.au/soe
State of the Environment 2011 Committee
Chair
Tom Hatton (Group Executive, Energy, CSIRO)
Members
Steven Cork (research ecologist and futurist)
Peter Harper (Deputy Australian Statistician)
Rob Joy (School of Global Studies, Social Science & Planning, RMIT)
Peter Kanowski (Fenner School of Environment & Society, ANU)
Richard Mackay (heritage specialist, Godden Mackay Logan)
Neil McKenzie (Chief, CSIRO Land and Water)
Trevor Ward (marine and fisheries ecologist)
Barbara Wienecke – ex officio (Australian Antarctic Division, DSEWPaC)
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www.environment.gov.au/soe
Purpose of SoE 2011
Provide relevant and useful information on environmental issues to the public and decision-makers...
… to raise awareness and support more informed environmental management decisions …
… leading to more sustainable use and effective conservation of environmental assets.
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www.environment.gov.au/soe
Strengths of SoE 2011
Detailed analyses, wide range of information sources, comprehensively referenced
Discussion of the major drivers of environmental change
Analyses of issues that are highly relevant to environmental decision-makers and managers
Report-card style assessments of condition, pressures and management effectiveness
Discussions of current resilience, future risks and outlooks
Rigorous and transparent peer review process
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www.environment.gov.au/soe
SoE 2011 Products
www.environment.gov.au/soe
Full Report In Brief Supplementary Products
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www.environment.gov.au/soe
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Assessment summaries in the report
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www.environment.gov.au/soe
Drivers chapter – context for rest of SoE
How are a changing climate, population growth and economic growth creating pressures on our environment?
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www.environment.gov.au/soe
Headlines (in Summary chapter)
17 headlines in
summary chapter
give a high level
overview of the
big issues
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Key Findings (in theme chapters)
‘key findings’
give an
overview of
more specific
conclusions
for each
theme
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www.environment.gov.au/soe
Key findings Pressures caused by past as well as ongoing human
activities continue to affect our inland waters, and climate change poses our largest future threat
A decade of drought severely affected southern inland water systems; subsequent floods will show how well ecosystems recover from prolonged and extreme changes in water regime
Many of our inland waters systems, particularly in the north, are relatively intact
Water quality does not meet guidelines in settled areas
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Key findings
The past decade was Australia’s most ambitious period of water policy reform, but responsibly meeting our needs for water remains a national challenge
Water prices rose, and Australia started to use less water
Water reforms, via the water market, have helped to secure environmental flows and support ecosystem services
Our metropolitan areas made massive investments in new water infrastructure to secure future supplies
There was a diminished focus on managing catchment water quality issues, including salinity
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www.environment.gov.au/soe
The last ten years – a decade of change
Ambitious water policy reform
National Water Initiative
Water Act 2007 – new arrangements for the MDB
Water for the Future
Worst and longest droughts Australia has ever seen
Widespread and unprecedented flooding
Widespread acceptance by the public and governments that Australia’s climate is changing
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State and trends of inland water environments
Many of Australia’s inland water environments are degraded
Southern Australia degraded from high levels of water resource development, compounded by extended drought
Northern Australia and Tasmania generally in good condition
Nutrient levels in guidelines are exceeded in all metropolitan areas and most areas of intensive agriculture
Water quality monitoring and analysis is inconsistent and sparse – trends difficult to identify
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Water quality: nitrogen
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Water quality: phosphorus
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Ecological processes and species populations
Study by NWC in 2005
Stream habitats in more than half the nation’s length were assessed as modified from pre-European conditions
Main causes of habitat degradation:
Changes in sediment loads
Loss of riparian vegetation
Condition of habitats worst in New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia
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River basin condition: Western Australia
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Waterbird abundance: eastern Australia
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Threatened frog species
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Pressures affecting inland water environments
Legacy pressures
Climate variability and climate change
Water resource development
Land use and management
Pests and invasive species
Photo by Nick Barnes
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Australian rainfall in 2010
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Inflows to Perth surface water supply catchments
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Current and predicted distribution of the cane toad
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Occurrence of nationally significant weed species of particular concern to inland water systems
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Management effectiveness – outcomes
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Resilience – need for better understanding
Darling River in flood, January 2010, New South WalesPhoto by Denise Fowler, courtesy of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority
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Current and emerging risks to inland water environments
Changed water balances, flow regimes and inundation patterns
Increased pollution and loss of habitat associated with urban expansion
Damage to inland water environments from invasive species and water abstraction
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Outlook for inland water environments Potential to:
Meet projected growth in population and maintain prosperity Improve protection of inland water environments In places, reverse historical and detrimental flow regime changes
Reliant on:
Full realisation of National Water Initiative principles Urban water strategies with mix of demand management, water
recycling and desalination
Uncertainties: Consequences of a changing climate Resilience of inland water environments to drought/floods
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Strengths and limits of SoE
Describes trends over time where possible, and lessons
Highlights current and future issues of management concern
Was designed to assist decision-makers
Provides critical information, but can only be impactful if decision-makers consider it and use it
For more information email: [email protected]
To order copiesemail: [email protected]
Or read it online: www.environment.gov.au/soe