research for a sustainable future
Strategic Research Area
Sustainable Water
Aim: Through our multidisciplinary research we aim to
assist water management organisations incorporate
new knowledge into their planning and operations on an
on-going basis. We collaborate with partners to identify,
implement and assess management options that can
achieve environmental, social and economic benefits.
This SRA was established in 2009 in line with the Institute’s integrative research approach to tackle the
challenges facing rural and regional communities.
We undertake research in the following areas:
•
• Assessment of delivery of environmental water to
rivers and wetlands
• optimising fish and frog habitat and breeding cycles,
• Evaluation of environmental watering proposals and
actions in rivers and wetlands
Our researchers have undertaken a range of projects
focussed on:
ecological responses to dam re-operations,
• adaptive management,
• economic impacts of changes and policy
considerations in water management and planning.
• Environmental assessment of river and dam
operations
• Aquatic ecosystem functions
• Ecohydrology
• Designing participatory processes
Our webpage: http://www.csu.edu.au/research/ilws/research/SRAs/
Water/SRA_Water.htm provides information on our
members, projects and publications.
• Social learning
• Adaptive management
• Assessment of water policy
• Understanding community perspectives and practices
• Economic valuation of changes in practice
We work collaboratively with community, regional and
national partners by integrating biophysical research with
socio-economic adaptive management practices. Through
the research and roles on committees our members
are making significant contributions to water policy and
decision making, and to the adaptive management of river
operations.
Wakool River in flood Photo R Watts
For more information, please contact:
Associate Professor Robyn Watts
Sustainable Water SRA leader
Institute for Land, Water and Society
PO Box 789 Albury NSW 2640
Email : [email protected]
www.csu.edu.au/research/ilws
www.facebook.com/ILWS.CSU
Examples of Sustainable Water SRA research projects
Investigators
Finlayson, Pittock
Finlayson, Neilsen
Finlayson, Bellio
Finlayson, Neilsen
Wassens, Watts, Howitt,
Zander, Hall
Allan
Watts, Finlayson, Wassens
Title of grant
Identifying low risk climate
change mitigation and
adaptation in catchment
management while avoiding
unintended consequences
Adaptation pathways for
aquatic plants under climate
change: facilitating dispersal
and management interventions.
Strengthening livelihood
security and adapting to
climate uncertainties in Chilika
Lagoon, India
Ecological responses of
aquatic vegetation to the
environmental water regime
developed for Lake Brewster
Centre for Ecological Analysis 2012
and Synthesis (ACEAS)
$50,000
Wetlands International
– South Asia (WISA) and
Chilika Development
Authority
Lachlan Catchment
Management Authority,
NSW State Water and
Charles Sturt University
Faculty of Science
Provision of monitoring services Department of Sustainability,
for the use of Commonwealth
Environment, Water,
environmental water in the
Population and Communities
Murrumbidgee River
(SEWPaC)
Review of River Murray
Murray-Darling Basin
System operations adaptive
Authority
management approach
Ecological responses to altered CSIRO Flagship Collaboration
flow regimes
Research Fund
Wassens
Assessing the resilience of
frog communities to periods
of extreme drought in river
red gum forests of the
Murrumbidgee river
Watts, Allan, Zander, Burns Environmental monitoring
of pulsed releases from
Dartmouth Dam in 2009-2010
Wilson, Wassens, Allan et al Farm Focus Wetland Study
Wassens, Wilson
Granting agency
Year, amount of grant
National Climate Change
2012-2013
Adaptation Research Facility $100,000
(NCCARF)
Identification of hydrological
and habitat requirements to
maintain viable Southern Bell
Frog populations (Phase 2)
Watts, Allan, Bowmer,
Review of environmental
Curtis, Page, Ryder, Wilson outcomes of pulsed flows
Watts, Ryder, Burns, Wilson, Monitoring of pulsed releases
Dehaan, Zander
in the Mitta Mitta River during
the bulk water transfer from
Dartmouth to Hume Reservoir
2012-2015
$49,000
2012-2015
$90,000
2011-2012
$152,000
2011-2012
$10,000
Department of Environment
and Climate Change
2011-2013
$3 million
(CSU $420,000)
2010-2011
$20,000
Murray-Darling Basin
Authority
2010-2011
$23,000
Murrumbidgee CMA
2009-2010
$229,000
2008-2011
$70,000
Department of Environment
and Climate Change
National Water Commission
Murray-Darling Basin
Commission
2007-2008
$75,000
2007-2008 $27,000