Catchment Management

The Water Resources Act 1997; a quantum leap in funding for sustainability

by Kathryn Bellette

ECOHEALTH AND WATERSHEDS: Ecosystem Approaches to Re-integrate Water Resources Management with Health and Well-being

by Martin Bunch

Parkes, M.W., Morrison, K.E., Bunch, M.J., and Venema, H.D. (2008) Ecohealth and Watersheds: Ecosystem Approaches to Re-integrate Water Resources Management with Health and Well-being. Network for Ecosystem Sustainability and Health (Publication Series No. 2) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development,Winnipeg, MB. Available online at http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2008/ecohealth_watersheds.pdf.

Executive Summary

The links between ecosystem approaches to health, natural resource management and poverty... more Executive Summary

The links between ecosystem approaches to health, natural resource management and poverty reduction are being identified as important and relevant across an increasing number of disciplines and institutions. However, specific implementation guidance is scant. One promising approach to addressing this gap is the integration of two emergent approaches to environmental management: Ecohealth, which argues that human health and well-being are not only dependent on ecosystems but are also important outcomes of effective ecosystem management; and Watershed-based integrated water resources management (IWRM) which is based on the premise that watersheds are appropriate units for managing ecosystems.

Over the past century, the dominant scientific approach to environment and health relationships has been to examine cause and effect relationships between “proximal” environmental exposures and their health effects. Much progress has been made with this kind of work, but the complex, reciprocal interactions among ecosystems, society and health demand a more integrated and systemic approach. Recent convergence of research, policy and practice that re-links the social and ecological context for health lead us to understand that: in coupled social-ecological systems the same driving forces can result in combined social and environmental health inequities, hazards and impacts; policies that decrease social inequities and improve social cohesion have the potential to improve health outcomes and also to minimize and offset the drivers of ecosystem change; and linked social-ecological actions that address both biophysical and social environments have the potential to create a “double-dividend” that improves health by addressing both its socio-economic and environmental determinants, while also promotingsustainable development.

Traditionally, our understanding and management of human health has been organized spatially on the basis of human constructs such as municipalities, counties, health authorities, and provinces or states. While these boundaries do influence environmental and resource management, they often overlook the structure and function of ecosystems, and create a disjuncture between the objects of management and biophysical processes (e.g., between health and nature). A wide range of international reports have now created a demand and imperative to identify specific ecosystem-based contexts in which linkages among health, ecosystems, development and poverty alleviation can be operationalized.

One response to these challenges has been to recognize and prioritize watersheds as appropriate spatial units around which to organize management for natural resources and health.Watershed management and ecosystem approaches offer useful approaches to water management within the physical “place” of the watershed or catchment. Using key management concepts such as resilience, such approaches have the potential to improve our ability to reduce vulnerability to natural hazards, maintain ecological flows of water and the provision of other ecological services, and to promote the long-term sustainability of coupled human and natural systems. Ecosystem approaches and IWRM almost always cite collaborative decision-making and adaptive institutions as central to their approach.Mechanisms to operate such approaches must navigate overlapping jurisdictions, conflicting mandates and multiple interests, while at the same time adapting and responding to new information and operating in contexts of uncertainty.

The challenge remains to establish frameworks and processes that speak not only to public health professionals, but also to ecologists, water managers, planners and the development community. Despite the potential value in explicitly addressing concerns about human health and well-being on a watershed basis, a myriad of challenges exist—many of which reflect the limitations of restricting focus on separate parts of social-ecological systems rather than the interconnections of human and natural systems. These include the challenges of working across jurisdictions and sectors; of integrating academic disciplines and multiple worldviews; of spatial-temporal scale and the relationship between systems defined at different scales; and of the complexity of issues pertaining to each aspect of these social-ecological systems (including climate and atmospheric processes, land uses, ecological processes, social networks, livelihoods and lifestyles). The table below summarizes key issues identified by this report and offers directions for further work.

Gestión integrada del agua y la salud desde una visión ecosistémica ("Water for life, health and sustainability: An ecosystem approach to reintegrate water resource management with the determinants of health")

by Martin Bunch

Parkes, M., K. Morrison, M.J. Bunch, H. Venema and P. Howitz (2008) Gestión integrada del agua y la salud desde una visión ecosistémica. 2 July 2008. Expo Zaragosa 2008: Water and Sustainable Development. Jun 14, 2008 - Sep 14, 2008 PLaza e España, Zaragoza, Aragon Spain.

The relationship between water resource management and the ‘upstream’ determinants of health is emerging as a new... more The relationship between water resource management and the ‘upstream’ determinants of health is emerging as a new portfolio of research, policy and practice. This development is informed by growing attention to ecosystem management in the context of catchments (also known as watersheds or river basins) and the potential ‘win-win’ of integrated strategies that improve both health and sustainability within these settings. Sustainable and equitable watershed management can be seen as an upstream driver of the determinants of health – with influences ranging from livelihoods and poverty, to cultural values, food security and lifestyles, as well provision of basic water services and infrastructure. Drawing on an integrated framework and the key concepts of ‘living systems’, ‘livelihoods’, and ‘linkages’ between ecosystems and equity, this paper examines integrated catchment management as the basis for an ecosystem approach that promotes water for life, health and sustainability. These concepts will be examined in the context of a community catchment health project in New Zealand, with cross-reference to initiatives in Hawai’i, Ecuador, Canada and the Philippines. Implications will be discussed in relation to capacity building for governance, research and education that values catchment management as a collaborative, cross-sectoral initiative with interrelated benefits for health, ecosystems and society.

Riparian ecotone as a key factor for stream restoration

by Barbara Bis

Zalewski, M., Bis, B., Frankiewicz, P., Lapińska, M., Puchalski, W. 2001. Ecohydrology and Hydrobiology 1 (1-2), pp. 245-251

The effect of riparian ecotone functional complexity and stream hydraulics on an upland river ecosystem has been... more The effect of riparian ecotone functional complexity and stream hydraulics on an upland river ecosystem has been analysed. The amount of nutrients retained by the bottom sediment was lowest on a sandy substrate and highest in wetland bays. A stream bed covered by Berula erecta had about three times higher nutrient retentive capacity than did a sandy substrate. The trophic potential of CPOM, measured as total protein, was significantly correlated with the amount of deposited CPOM and depended on stream order. Macroinvertebrate biomass was highest at an intermediate riparian ecotone complexity with an adequate supply of organic matter and incident light. Fish biomass followed the same trend, being lowest in heavily shaded areas and in open channels without riparian vegetation, but highest in ecotones of intermediate complexity. These results indicate that the riparian ecotone structure and the heterogeneity of the stream channel may regulate biodiversity, productivity and nutrient retention in the fluvial corridor.

Effects of catchment properties on hydrochemistry, habitat complexity and invertebrate community structure in a lowland river

by Barbara Bis

Bis, B., Zdanowicz, A., Zalewski, M. 2000.Hydrobiologia 422-423, pp. 369-387

The main objective of this study was to quantify the relationship between taxonomic and functional parameters of... more The main objective of this study was to quantify the relationship between taxonomic and functional parameters of macroinvertebrate assemblages and reach/landscape attributes of agricultural catchment. We aimed to analyse the relation between landscape patchiness and land-water ecotone structure, and their influence on benthic fauna composition, biomass and functional organization. A variety of catchment characteristics: land use patterns, surface geology (e.g. type of soils), elevation, hydrology database were incorporated into a geographical information system (GIS) to evaluate anthropogenic impact on landscape properties. The scenarios of potential transfer of nitrogen load along the gradient of the river valley were elaborated. The assessment of nutrient export focused on identifying the most effective nutrient barriers across spatial scales. The analysis of landscape and reach units demonstrated significant, negative correlations between the rate of nutrient transfer to surface/groundwaters and (i) the length of riparian ecotones, (ii) river width, and (iii) the areas of wetland and forested patches in the catchment. The trophic base (primary producers; CPOM; FPOM) in the stream channel was analysed as a factor modifying the structural and functional organization of macrobenthos. Canopy cover, and the consequent amount of solar input reaching the stream bed, significantly influenced food-related variables: leaf input and algal biomass. The factor that significantly affected food availability, retention and transport of benthic particulate organic matter (BPOM) and amount of chlorophyll a was stream discharge. Higher discharge contributed to low retention of BPOM. To obtain more information about environmental variability (56 variables) and macroinvertebrate functional organization, the entire data matrix was analysed using Principal Component Analysis. A significant correlation was shown in the case of shredder abundance (i) in the low-order station S1, (ii) high canopy cover complexity, and (iii) retention of benthic organic matter. Filtering collectors were significantly associated with the presence of suspended organic matter. Other faunal assemblages, highly related to stream hydraulics factors, were alternative gathering collectors/scrapers, much retained at fourth-order station S3. Stream discharge, depth and chlorophyll a significantly affected the presence of these organisms. This indicated the crucial role of habitat heterogeneity, which was attributable to local conditions (detrital inputs, hydraulics, morphological characteristics), and significantly influenced the trophic structure of biocommunities. In the regulated section of the river (S2) without overhanging vegetation, the abundance of scrapers was significantly correlated with open canopy. Domestic and agricultural impact, evidenced by high nutrient concentrations, significantly reduced species richness (stations S4/S4a). Macroinvertebrate communities were used to detect environmental stress in the river system. Assessment of water quality with biological indices directly revealed human-induced alterations (e.g. land use, lack of riparian vegetation, channelization).

Riparian ecotone as a key factor for stream restoration

by Barbara Bis

Zalewski, M., Bis, B., Frankiewicz, P., Lapińska, M., Puchalski, W. 2001. Ecohydrology and Hydrobiology 1 (1-2), pp. 245-251

The effect of riparian ecotone functional complexity and stream hydraulics on an upland river ecosystem has been... more The effect of riparian ecotone functional complexity and stream hydraulics on an upland river ecosystem has been analysed. The amount of nutrients retained by the bottom sediment was lowest on a sandy substrate and highest in wetland bays. A stream bed covered by Berula erecta had about three times higher nutrient retentive capacity than did a sandy substrate. The trophic potential of CPOM, measured as total protein, was significantly correlated with the amount of deposited CPOM and depended on stream order. Macroinvertebrate biomass was highest at an intermediate riparian ecotone complexity with an adequate supply of organic matter and incident light. Fish biomass followed the same trend, being lowest in heavily shaded areas and in open channels without riparian vegetation, but highest in ecotones of intermediate complexity. These results indicate that the riparian ecotone structure and the heterogeneity of the stream channel may regulate biodiversity, productivity and nutrient retention in the fluvial corridor.

The importance of the riparian ecotone and river hydraulics for sustainable basin-scale restoration scenarios

by Barbara Bis

Zalewski, M., Bis, B., Łapińska, M., Frankiewicz, P., Puchalski, W. 1998. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 8 (2), pp. 287-307

1. The effect of riparian ecotone functional complexity and stream hydraulics on an upland river ecosystem has been... more 1. The effect of riparian ecotone functional complexity and stream hydraulics on an upland river ecosystem has been analysed. 2. The amount of nutrients retained by bottom sediment was lowest on a sandy substrate (range: 26-104 mg m-2 P-PO4) and highest in wetland bays (range: 558-5368 mg m-2 P-PO4). A stream bed covered by Berula erecta had about three times higher retentive nutrient capacity (x̄ = 584 mg m-2 day-1) than did a sandy substrate x̄ = 205 mg m-2 day-1). 3. The amount of allochthonous organic matter (CPOM) deposited on the stream bed decreased with current velocity. The trophic potential of CPOM, measured as total protein, was significantly correlated with the amount of deposited CPOM (r = 0.863; p < 0.00001) and depended on stream order. 4. Both invertebrate and fish biomass in the upland river were significantly correlated with calcium/bicarbonate (benthos: r = 0.858; p < 0.006; fish: r = 0.918; p < 0.001). 5. Fish biomass, diversity and species richness were highest in pools, lower in riffles and lowest in the run/transition zone. 6. Macroinvertebrate biomass was highest at an intermediate riparian ecotone complexity with an adequate supply of organic matter and incident light. Fish biomass followed the same trend, being lowest in heavily shaded areas and in open channels without riparian vegetation (range: 1-4.5 g m-2), but highest in ecotones of intermediate complexity (range: 1.6-92.8 g m-2). The 'cascading effect' of invertebrate density depletion, which was inversely related to fish biomass, was observed seasonally. 7. The above results indicate that riparian ecotone structure and the heterogeneity of the stream channel may regulate biodiversity, productivity and nutrient retention in the fluvial corridor. These quantitative data help to create alternative scenarios for sustainable river basin management.

Effects of catchment properties on hydrochemistry, habitat complexity and invertebrate community structure in a lowland river

by Barbara Bis

Bis, B., Zdanowicz, A., Zalewski, M. 2000.Hydrobiologia 422-423, pp. 369-387

The main objective of this study was to quantify the relationship between taxonomic and functional parameters of... more The main objective of this study was to quantify the relationship between taxonomic and functional parameters of macroinvertebrate assemblages and reach/landscape attributes of agricultural catchment. We aimed to analyse the relation between landscape patchiness and land-water ecotone structure, and their influence on benthic fauna composition, biomass and functional organization. A variety of catchment characteristics: land use patterns, surface geology (e.g. type of soils), elevation, hydrology database were incorporated into a geographical information system (GIS) to evaluate anthropogenic impact on landscape properties. The scenarios of potential transfer of nitrogen load along the gradient of the river valley were elaborated. The assessment of nutrient export focused on identifying the most effective nutrient barriers across spatial scales. The analysis of landscape and reach units demonstrated significant, negative correlations between the rate of nutrient transfer to surface/groundwaters and (i) the length of riparian ecotones, (ii) river width, and (iii) the areas of wetland and forested patches in the catchment. The trophic base (primary producers; CPOM; FPOM) in the stream channel was analysed as a factor modifying the structural and functional organization of macrobenthos. Canopy cover, and the consequent amount of solar input reaching the stream bed, significantly influenced food-related variables: leaf input and algal biomass. The factor that significantly affected food availability, retention and transport of benthic particulate organic matter (BPOM) and amount of chlorophyll a was stream discharge. Higher discharge contributed to low retention of BPOM. To obtain more information about environmental variability (56 variables) and macroinvertebrate functional organization, the entire data matrix was analysed using Principal Component Analysis. A significant correlation was shown in the case of shredder abundance (i) in the low-order station S1, (ii) high canopy cover complexity, and (iii) retention of benthic organic matter. Filtering collectors were significantly associated with the presence of suspended organic matter. Other faunal assemblages, highly related to stream hydraulics factors, were alternative gathering collectors/scrapers, much retained at fourth-order station S3. Stream discharge, depth and chlorophyll a significantly affected the presence of these organisms. This indicated the crucial role of habitat heterogeneity, which was attributable to local conditions (detrital inputs, hydraulics, morphological characteristics), and significantly influenced the trophic structure of biocommunities. In the regulated section of the river (S2) without overhanging vegetation, the abundance of scrapers was significantly correlated with open canopy. Domestic and agricultural impact, evidenced by high nutrient concentrations, significantly reduced species richness (stations S4/S4a). Macroinvertebrate communities were used to detect environmental stress in the river system. Assessment of water quality with biological indices directly revealed human-induced alterations (e.g. land use, lack of riparian vegetation, channelization).

Development of a catchment wide nutrient model

by Roger Falconer - Cardiff University

Paper 99:  Bockelmann-Evans, B. N., Schnauder, I., Fenrich, E. and Falconer, R. A. 2007. Development of a catchment wide nutrient model. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Water Management. 160(WM1), 35-42. 

Abstract
Diffuse-source nutrient pollution remains a major problem within sustainable catchment management. The... more Abstract
Diffuse-source nutrient pollution remains a major problem within sustainable catchment management. The aim of this study is to provide a decision-support tool that can predict the impact of land-use changes on water quality (WQ) in receiving waters. A linked modelling approach was used to integrate land-use changes with a WQ model and a 2D numerical hydrodynamic model. The linked model was adapted to conditions in estuarine and coastal waters and applied to the catchments of Carmarthen Bay in West Wales, UK. A new set of biochemical reaction rates for nutrients in estuarine waters was found and presented. This approach took into account the assessment of nutrient production rates in the catchment for dry and wet weather conditions, as well as the reactions of constituents passing from the catchment into the coastal basin. The predominant types of land use in the catchment are arable land, improved grassland, rough grazing and woodland. Nutrient loads from these areas were estimated using Geographical Information System (GIS) data and export coefficients, which characterise the amount of nutrient losses. Furthermore, economical and ecological effects of land-use changes were integrated using an input–output analysis approach. A range of scenario simulations involving different river discharges and reduced nutrient input rates resulting from appropriate measures for land-use changes showed the nutrient pathways and concentration distributions over time throughout the bay. The outcome from these scenario simulations can be used to indicate catchmentwide distribution of diffuse pollution sources and to locate areas that are characterised by high nutrient concentrations and are prone to the occurrence of mass algal growth

Toward a holistic and risk‐based management of european river basins

by Sabine E. Apitz

Toward a holistic and risk‐based management of european river basins

by Sabine E. Apitz

Promoting Health and Well-Being by Managing for Social–Ecological Resilience: the Potential of Integrating Ecohealth and Water Resources Management Approaches

by Martin Bunch

Bunch, M. J., Morrison, K. E., Parkes, M. W., & Venema, H. D. (2011). Promoting health and well-being by managing for social–ecological resilience: the potential of integrating ecohealth and water resources management approaches. Ecology and Society, 16(1), 6. [Online] URL: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol16/iss11/art16/.

In coupled social–ecological systems, the same driving forces can result in combined social and environmental health... more In coupled social–ecological systems, the same driving forces can result in combined social and environmental health inequities, hazards, and impacts. Policies that decrease social inequities and improve social cohesion, however, also have the potential to improve health outcomes and to minimize and offset the drivers of ecosystem change. Actions that address both biophysical and social environments have the potential to create a "double dividend" that improves human health, while also promoting sustainable development. One promising approach to managing the complex, reciprocal interactions among ecosystems, society, and health is the integration of the ecohealth approach (which holds that human health and well-being are both dependent on ecosystems and are important outcomes of ecosystem management) with watershed-based water resources management. Using key management concepts such as resilience, such approaches can help reduce vulnerability to natural hazards, maintain ecological flows of water and the provision of other ecological services, and promote long-term sustainability of coupled human and natural systems. Priorities for understanding and realizing health benefits of watershed management include (i) addressing poverty and reducing inequities, (ii) promoting resilience (for health) in watersheds, and (iii) applying watersheds as a context for intersectoral management tools and policy integration. Examples of work linking health and watershed management demonstrate that not only is appreciation of complex systems important, but an effective approach is participatory and transdisciplinary and gives attention to equity and historical context.


Key words: ecohealth; ecosystem approach; environment and health; environmental determinants of health; health promotion; integrated water resources management; resilience; social determinants of health; watershed governance; watershed management

Community uses and values of waters in the Tully-Murray catchment

by Petina Pert

Co-authored with Iris Bohnet, Clarence Kinjun, Karl Haug, Frederieke Kroon, Damon Sydes, Petina Pert and Brian Roberts

Final Report for FNQ NRM Ltd
March 2007

Future makers or future takers? A scenario analysis of climate change and the Great Barrier Reef

by Petina Pert

Co-authored with Erin Bohenskya, James R.A. Butler, Robert Costanza, Iris Bohnet, Aurélie Delisle, Katharina Fabricius, Margaret Gooch, Ida Kubiszewski, George Lukacs, Petina Pert and Eric Wolanski.
Global Environmental Change
Volume 21, Issue 3, August 2011, Pages 876-893

doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.03.009

The extent to which nations and regions can actively shape the future or must passively respond to global forces is a... more The extent to which nations and regions can actively shape the future or must passively respond to global forces is a topic of relevance to current discourses on climate change. In Australia, climate change has been identified as the greatest threat to the ecological resilience of the Great Barrier Reef, but is exacerbated by regional and local pressures. We undertook a scenario analysis to explore how two key uncertainties may influence these threats and their impact on the Great Barrier Reef and adjacent catchments in 2100: whether (1) global development and (2) Australian development is defined and pursued primarily in terms of economic growth or broader concepts of human well-being and environmental sustainability, and in turn, how climate change is managed and mitigated. We compared the implications of four scenarios for marine and terrestrial ecosystem services and human well-being. The results suggest that while regional actions can partially offset global inaction on climate change until about mid-century, there are probable threshold levels for marine ecosystems, beyond which the Great Barrier Reef will become a fundamentally different system by 2100 if climate change is not curtailed. Management that can respond to pressures at both global and regional scales will be needed to maintain the full range of ecosystem services. Modest improvements in human well-being appear possible even while ecosystem services decline, but only where regional management is strong. The future of the region depends largely on whether national and regional decision-makers choose to be active future ‘makers’ or passive future ‘takers’ in responding to global drivers of change. We conclude by discussing potential avenues for using these scenarios further with the Great Barrier Reef region's stakeholders.

case study: Coral reef and catchment management in Tobago: monitoring reefs for the future

by Jennie Mallela

Mallela J, Armstrong H (2011) Coral reef and catchment management in Tobago: monitoring reefs for the future. In: Wilkinson C, Brodie J (eds) Catchment management and coral reef conservation: A practical guide for coastal resource managers to reduce damage from catchment areas based on best practice case studies. Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and Reefs and Rainforest Research Centre, Townsville, Australia, pp48-49

GIS BASED APPROACH ON MEASURING REGULATING SERVICES IN LOWLAND CATCHMENT Study Case: Kielstau, Shleswig – Holstein

by Annisa Indah Sari

Authors:
Akbar Cita, akbarcita@yahoo.com
Annisa Indah Sari, annisaindah@hotmail.com

Ecosystem services become essential in policy and decision-making since they are part of millennium ecosystem... more Ecosystem services become essential in policy and decision-making since they are part of millennium ecosystem assessment agenda. Catchment area is one of important ecosystems which provide several ecosystem services. Kielstau catchment area is located in northern lowland of Schleswig Holstein, Germany. The scope of study area was delineated based on defining basin area method. It is done by hydrology spatial analyst tools in ArcGis 9.3. Evaluation of ecosystem services in Kielstau mainly adopted from Corine Land Cover classification. Agriculture land (55.76%) and pasture (26.45%) are the dominant land use. Meanwhile, deciduous and evergreen forest occupied small area of total land use. Deciduous forest
provides the largest capacity for ecosystem services and urban area is the lowest. Further analysis on regulating services shows that deciduous forest is considered to have very high capacity to maintain local climate regulation. Agriculture has no
capacity for water quality regulation and contrary with evergreen forest and grassland which provide very high capacity. Evergreen forest also has high relevant capacity to maintain groundwater recharge.

Keyword: ecosystem services, catchment area, Kielstau, local climate, water quality, groundwater recharge, GIS approach.