National water resource assessment using waterbirds: Ecosystem health and conservation importance of water-dependent ecosystems and rivers
Project details
| Objective: | To develop national methodologies, guidelines and assessment protocols to measure conservation value and success of environmental water delivery to water-dependent ecosystems using assessment and monitoring of waterbirds as an indicator of ecosystem health. |
| Funding: | up to $951,578 plus applicable GST from the Australian Government towards costs associated with supporting the work program. Total value of the project is $1,131,578 with $180,000 being contributed by University of New South Wales. |
| Jurisdiction: | National |
| Commenced: | June 2007 |
| Completion: | June 2010 |
Read about the project's progress.
About the project
This project will develop national methodologies, guidelines and assessment protocols to measure conservation value and success of environmental water delivery to water-dependent ecosystems using assessment and monitoring of waterbirds as an indicator of ecosystem health. A national assessment of high conservation value water-dependent ecosystems will be conducted across all jurisdictions using waterbirds as an indicator of value, enabling a relative assessment of the importance of different wetlands and floodplains across Australia.
All practitioners will be brought together under this project for a nationwide aerial survey for the first time and best practice methods for aerial surveys will be developed.
Project benefits
This project develops integrated monitoring processes and waterbird data warehousing protocols to support environmental water managers. Waterbird data will be made publicly available. This project makes a nationally significant contribution to the National Water Initiative by enhancing national consistency and compatibility in monitoring aquatic ecosystems through aerial waterbird surveys. The project will build a broadly applicable indicator to enhance consistent river health monitoring.
This project will enable monitoring of the success of environmental water delivery to water-dependent ecosystems through waterbird aerial surveys. Wetting protocols will also be determined to increase bird populations and diversity.