Rollout and adoption of framework for assessing environmental water requirements of groundwater dependent ecosystems
Project details
| Objective: | Adoption of the toolbox for assessing ecological water requirements of groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) by states and territories |
| Funding: |
$499,120.78 plus applicable GST |
| Jurisdiction: | National |
| Commencing: | February 2009 |
| Completion: |
December 2011 |
About the project
A GDE management toolbox, A Framework for Assessing the Ecological Water Requirements of Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems, was developed in 2007 for Land and Water Australia (LWA).
The Rollout and Adoption of the Framework for Assessing Ecological Water Requirements of Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems project was developed to increase the toolbox's relevance for national adoption through a collaborative review process with jurisdictions.
The rollout comprised two stages:
Stage one was completed in July 2010. The toolbox was presented to states, territories and Commonwealth agencies through a number of workshops. A review was also undertaken to determine the requirements for toolbox redevelopment to enable more effective uptake and implementation by jurisdictions.
Stage two was completed in December 2011. The main revisions updated the scientific tools previously presented in the LWA (2007) version of the toolbox. More detail has been provided on ecological water requirements, the effect of climate variability, the problem of upscaling information across different spatial and temporal scales, monitoring and evaluation, and understanding the potential response of GDEs to changes in the groundwater environment. The toolbox consists of two parts:
- Part one focused on implementation of the assessment framework and development of a monitoring and evaluation program to document ecological water requirements.
- Part two presented a suite of practical and technical approaches to assist water managers in identifying GDEs and determining the impact of changes in groundwater on an ecosystem state or function.
Project benefits
The re-development and national uptake of the toolbox will further its ability to assist groundwater planners and managers to protect groundwater dependent ecosystems.
Project outcomes
The toolbox was released in December 2011. The report presents a suite of practical tools and approaches for water resource, catchment and ecosystem managers to indentify and manage the ecological requirements of GDEs.