Reflexive learning in adaptive management: A case study of environmental water management in the Murray Darling Basin, Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 681-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig A. McLoughlin ◽  
Martin C. Thoms ◽  
Melissa Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Adaptive Management ◽  
Environmental Water ◽  
Murray Darling Basin

Irrigator and Environmental Water Management Adaptation to Climate Change and Water Reallocation in the Murray–Darling Basin

2015 ◽  
Vol 01 (03) ◽  
pp. 1550009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mac Kirby ◽  
Jeff Connor ◽  
Mobin-ud Din Ahmad ◽  
Lei Gao ◽  
Mohammed Mainuddin
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Environmental Water ◽  
Adaptation Strategy ◽  
Net Income ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Murray Darling Basin ◽  
Gross Income ◽  
The Impact

In an earlier paper (Kirby et al. 2014a), we showed that climate change and a new policy which reallocates water to the environment will impact both the flow of water and the income derived from irrigation in the Murray–Darling Basin. Here, we extend the analysis to consider irrigator and environmental water management strategies to adapt to these new circumstances. Using an integrated hydrology-economics model, we examine a range of strategies and their impact on flows and the gross income of irrigation. We show that the adaptation strategies provide a range of flow and economic outcomes in the Basin. Several strategies offer significant scope to enhance flows without large adverse impacts on the gross income of irrigation overall. Some environmental water management strategies enhance flows in the Murray part of the basin even under the drying influence of a projected median climate change. Irrigator strategies that include carryover of water in storage from one year to the next provide for lesser year to year variability in gross income and may be regarded as more advantageous in providing security against droughts. Flows and the gross income of low value irrigation industries strategies are sensitive to climate change, irrespective of adaptation strategy. Should a projected dry extreme climate change be realized, no strategy can prevent a large reduction in flows and also in gross income, particularly of low value irrigation industries. Nevertheless, environmental water management strategies mitigate the impact on flows, and in some cases may also help mitigate the impacts on gross income. High value irrigation industries are less affected (in terms of gross income, though net income will reduce because of rising water prices) by projected climate change, consistent with observation in the recent long term drought.

scholarly journals Supporting Sustainable Water Management: Insights from Australia’s Reform Journey and Future Directions for the Murray–Darling Basin

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen Papas
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Environmental Water ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Weather Extremes ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Murray Darling Basin ◽  
Productivity Commission ◽  
The Government

Effective regulation of freshwater remains one of the biggest challenges facing our societies. In times of record-breaking weather extremes spurred by a changing climate, decision makers are increasingly aware of the need to formulate more effective governance to ensure the reliability, accessibility, and quality of this life-giving resource. In recent years, the Australian government has played a key role in water management. The government has managed a significant amount of water entitlements in the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB), through its Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) agency, in a bid to increase river flows and thus improve the river system’s environmental and ecological conditions. The CEWH is unique in many respects, and the Australian government’s control of its budget and actions is a critical aspect of the Basin’s sustainable long-term management. Despite the importance of this instrument, this article points out that there are serious issues with the current governance arrangements, such as inherent conflicts in the Murray–Darling Basin Authority’s (MDBA) role, which is a concern raised by the Productivity Commission. This article goes on to recommend the policy changes required to address Basin-wide issues and promote sustainable practices to ensure the MDB’s long-term resilience.

Adaptive Management of Return Flows: Lessons from a Case Study in Environmental Water Delivery to a Floodplain River

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin J. Wolfenden ◽  
Skye M. Wassens ◽  
Kim M. Jenkins ◽  
Darren S. Baldwin ◽  
Tsuyoshi Kobayashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Management ◽  
Environmental Water ◽  
Water Delivery ◽  
Floodplain River ◽  
Return Flows

Barmah-Millewa forest environmental water allocation

2002 ◽  
Vol 45 (11) ◽  
pp. 217-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Stewart ◽  
B. Harper
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Community Participation ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Water Allocation ◽  
Environmental Water ◽  
Ramsar Convention ◽  
Murray Darling Basin ◽  
Murray River ◽  
International Importance ◽  
Developing Area

The formal allocation of water for the environment is a developing area of river management both scientifically and in terms of community participation. This case study, illustrating the recent use of the Barmah-Millewa Forest Environmental Water Allocation (EWA), provides a practical demonstration of community participation in environmental water management, the application of hydrological and biological “triggers” and a positive, demonstrable biological outcome from an environmental water allocation. The Barmah-Millewa Forest covers an area of 70,000 ha across the floodplain of the Murray River, upstream of the town of Echuca. About half the forest is in NSW (Millewa) and half is in Victoria (Barmah). The Barmah Forest is a Wetland of International Importance listed under the Convention on Wetlands - Ramsar Convention. The forest is the largest river redgum forest in the world. The natural flooding cycle associated with the forest has been significantly altered by regulation of the Murray River - impacting upon the overall health of the forest ecosystem. Recognising this, the Murray Darling Basin Commission developed a water management strategy for the forest to enhance forest, fish and wildlife values. To implement this strategy, between 1990 and 1993 reports were completed and community consultation took place. In 1993 the Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council approved allocation of 100 Gigalitres of water per year, provided in equal shares by NSW and Victoria, to meet the needs of the forest ecosystem and in 1994 the Barmah-Millewa Forum was established under the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement. The vision for the Forum is to maintain and, where possible, improve the ecological and productive sustainability of the Barmah-Millewa Forest and to establish a planning and operational framework to better meet the flooding and drying requirements of the riparian forests and wetlands. Between October 2000 and January 2001 the Barmah-Millewa Forest Environmental Water Allocation was used for the second time. A total of 341 GL was released as an EWA. This amount represented only 8% of the total flows downstream of Yarrawonga Weir from September 2000 and January 2001. The strategic use of the relatively small amount of water enabled flooding to be maintained and ensured significant breeding success for water birds and other biota in the Forest.

scholarly journals Justice, science, or collaboration: divergent perspectives on Indigenous cultural water in Australia's Murray–Darling Basin

Water Policy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Bischoff-Mattson ◽  
Amanda H. Lynch ◽  
Lee Joachim
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Distributive Justice ◽  
Q Methodology ◽  
River System ◽  
Environmental Water ◽  
Collaborative Management ◽  
Ecosystem Conservation ◽  
Murray Darling Basin

Abstract The concept of ‘Indigenous cultural water’ has emerged in Australia's Murray–Darling Basin in the context of sweeping reforms to provide environmental water allocations for ecosystem conservation. We discuss the concept of cultural water, its origins, and its function as a means of representing and advancing Indigenous interests in a fully allocated and heavily developed river system. Cultural water remains a contested and ambiguous frame for policy, providing ample scope for conflict over appropriate goals, standards, and efficacy. We used Q methodology to elucidate the structure and content of perspectives on Indigenous cultural water as a prospective frame for policy. Our results illustrate distinct views on cultural water relative to distributive justice and restitution, the role of science and technical experts, and prospects for collaborative management. They also illustrate nuanced perspectives on the relation between cultural and environmental water management. Clarifying goals and reconciling divergent expectations around cultural water is likely to be an ongoing challenge. We note that uncertainty surrounding the concept may ultimately function to open discursive spaces to alternative perspectives and innovations, and this would be supported by contextual approaches, grounded in place-based prototyping.

scholarly journals Adaptive and transformative learning in environmental water management: Implementing the Crocodile River’s Ecological Reserve in Kruger National Park, South Africa

Koedoe ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig A. McLoughlin ◽  
Eddie S. Riddell ◽  
Robin M. Petersen ◽  
Jacques Venter
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Social Learning ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Adaptive Management ◽  
National Park ◽  
Environmental Flows ◽  
Environmental Water ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
Ecological Reserve

Freshwater biodiversity loss in the Anthropocene escalates the need for successful environmental water management to sustain human benefitting ecosystem services. Of the world’s river basins, one-third are now severely water depleted, rendering the quality and quantity of water to maintain or restore freshwater ecosystem integrity increasingly urgent. However, managing environmental water is intricate because of complexity and uncertainty in interacting social and biophysical system components, and trade-offs between costs and benefits of implementing environmental flows. Learning enabled adaptive management – embracing the uncertainty – is essential; however, practising adaptive management (worldwide) is challenging; single-, double- and triple-loop learning is required, along with social learning, to tackle complex problems. There is progressive realisation of environmental flows (Ecological Reserve) in the Crocodile River, South Africa, linked to the Kruger National Park, using Strategic Adaptive Management (SAM). In this research article, we reflected on adaptive (single- and double-loop) learning and transformative (triple-loop) learning capacity emergent in SAM between 2009 and 2019 whilst also considering social learning potentials. We found evidence of preconditions (e.g. transparency) for social learning within a burgeoning stakeholder ‘community-of-practice’, likely fostering capacities (e.g. information sharing) for sustained social learning. Adaptive and transformative learning is enabled by social learning, underpinned by ongoing nested feedbacks supporting assessment and reflection, which facilitates single-, double- and triple-loop learning. Champions exist and are vital for sustaining the adaptive management system. Executing adaptive and transformative learning aids in positive change across the range of ecological, social and economic outcomes that are essential for success in environmental water programmes, worldwide.Conservation implications: Crocodile River Ecological Reserve implementation, associated with Kruger National Park, provided an important national precedent (lessons) for protecting the ecological integrity of river systems – obligatory under the National Water Act (Act No 36 of 1998). We demonstrated the importance of ongoing stakeholder learning for successful management of the Ecological Reserve.

Using river-scale experiments to inform variable releases from large dams: a case study of emergent adaptive management

2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (7) ◽  
pp. 786 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Watts ◽  
D. S. Ryder ◽  
C. Allan ◽  
S. Commens
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Adaptive Management ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Flow Variability ◽  
Institutional Conditions ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
Murray Darling Basin ◽  
Algal Biofilms ◽  
Over Time

Case studies of successful adaptive management generally focus on examples that have frameworks for adaptive management embedded from project conception. In contrast, this paper outlines an example of emergent adaptive management. We describe an approach whereby targeted research and collaboration among stakeholders assisted learning, and ultimately the development of interim operational guidelines for increased within-channel flow variability in the highly regulated Mitta Mitta River, which is managed as part of the River Murray System in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia. Environmental monitoring of four variable flow trials evaluated the response of water column microbial activity, benthic and water column metabolism, the structure and composition of algal biofilms, and benthic macroinvertebrates to increased flow variability created by varying the release from Dartmouth Reservoir. Each trial built upon lessons from previous trials, with collaboration among key stakeholders occurring before, during and after each trial. Institutional conditions encouraged a shift to adaptive management over time that helped to achieve environmental, social and economic objectives downstream of the dam. A key lesson is that adaptive management does not have to be specified a priori, but can emerge within a trusting relationship between stakeholders as long as they are willing and able to change their operational paradigm.

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