8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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A Voice for our Rivers:

How do healthy river basins matter? 

Dr. Eva Abal

e.abal@uq.edu.au

Chief Scientist International Water Centre andGreat Barrier Reef FoundationAssociate ProfessorOffice of the Vice Chancellor

The University of Queensland

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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Paradigm shifts on how we view rivers and waterways

Rivers as

source of 

water

Rivers as

sewers

Rivers as

a lifestyle

Rivers for

future

generation

service-based outcome-based

Physical actions/infrastructures enabling processes

reactive risk-based/strategic

Why Healthy Rivers? 

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/wlw-day-1-a-voice-for-our-rivers-how-do-healthy-river-basins-matter-by-dr 3/27

A Voice for our Rivers: a value proposition

1. The Rationale: Why? 

2. The Methodology: How? 

3. The Proponents: Who? 

4. The Resourcing: How do we fund? 

The Outline of the Value Proposition

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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1: THE RATIONALEWHY? 

1: The Rationale: Why?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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Rivers provide goods and services to the human

population

1: The Rationale: Why?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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The total value of the world’s freshwater ecosystem

services estimated to be up to 5 trillion annually.

Rivers and lakes contribute majority of that (US$3 Trillion per year).

For Asia, total value = ~US$ 1.75 Trillion  per year; rivers and lakescontribute majority (US$ 1.0 Trillion  per year).

Value of the world’s freshwater ecosystems.(World Development Report, 2009 and Costanza et al., 1997)

1: The Rationale: Why?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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But ~80% of Rivers in Asia-Pacific are not in good

condition… 

80% 20%

Asian Water Development Outlook – Key Dimension 4 

1: The Rationale: Why?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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We need to ensure that the rivers continue to

provide the benefits that human beings enjoy. Services provided by rivers are linked to constituents of our well-

being.

1: The Rationale: Why?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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2: THE METHODOLOGYHOW? 

2: The Methodology: How?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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Adaptive Management Approach is Needed. 

On-going know ledgeacquisition

Framework for

 Action – ex . IWRMPlan (t a rge ted &

c omm i t t e d)

Critical role of 

monitoring ( l i nksma na ge me n t

ac t i ons to

p rov i s i on o f

env i r onmen ta l

va l ues )

Effectivecommunication of know ledge forpolicy/planning

Continuousimprovement in

planning/policy

Rob Speed

2: The Methodology: How?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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SynthesiseandCommunicate

Measure

Indicators

MonitoringStrategy

Aspirations

Values and

Uses

The need to monitor our rivers…

Presentation Heading

“A healthy &

 productive

river” 

River

Health

Index 0-

1(AWDO)

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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Effective Communication: critical for problem-solving 

2: The Methodology: How?

Knowledge Hubs

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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Effective Communication: A pathway to engaging decision makers

There is a need for “ truth to power ” opportunities that engage stakeholders and decision

makers.Example:

2: The Methodology: How?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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Report cards are growing in popularity

• Educational report cards  are acommon experience

• Peer pressure  is a powerfulhuman motivator 

• Report cards synthesise largeamounts of data

• For example… 

• Australia ( Moreton Bay, Gippsland Lakes,

Great Barrier Reef) 

• United States (Chesapeake Bay, San

Francisco Bay)• China (Yellow River, Pearl River and Liao

River)

• New Zealand (Waikato River, Kaipara

Harbour)

2: The Methodology: How?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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• Enable large and often complex

amounts of information to becommunicated to a broad audience

• Identify regions or issues of concern

• Direct/focus management action:

impetus for some costly (but

environmentally important)

intervention

• Can provide accountability;

measuring the success of a

particular effort

Why produce a report card?

2: The Methodology: How?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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..Enable large and often complex amounts of 

information to be communicated to a broad audience

254 estuarine &marine sites(sampled monthly)

135 freshwatersites(sampled 2x/yr)

2: The Methodology: How?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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Report Cards increase community awareness…

2: The Methodology: How?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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A report card can focus and provide impetus for management…

High rainfall after a decadeof drought A decade's

worth of sediment,

nutrients and other 

contaminants in the river 

channel network was

 flushed downstream.

2011

C-

Bay recovered

slightly, but still

lower than

average 

2011 Flood came

on top of this

recovery 

Moreton Bay held on to a‘Good ’ rating in spite of 

increase in population –

significant investments in

sewage treatment. 

2030

B

D/D-

Ex. Use of Report Card for the Future of Moreton Bay value proposition

($A500M)

2: The Methodology: How?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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• River Health Index (River Health Score Card) - provides an

assessment of river health based on a variety of drivers and

indicators of river health

• River Management Index (IWRM Score Card) - provides a

qualitative assessment of management actions in place to

prevent future deterioration of the environment.

River HealthIndex

RiverManagement

Index

For the future…

2: The Methodology: How?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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3: THE PROPONENTSWHO? 

3: The Proponents: Who?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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A healthy river is achieved through a shared vision

- with community participation in its broadest sense…

3: The Proponents: Who?

li i f i i i hi d b ki h

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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Realisation of vision is achieved by working together… 

RealisationComplete OR notEffective OR not

NeutralFunding &LogisticsAdequacy

TimingNeutral

LeadershipTransactional OR not

Executive OR notNeutral

ContextAdverse OR Favourable

Exceptional event OR notNeutral

AssumptionRobust OR Weak

Consensual OR notNeutral

CommunicationEasy OR Problematic

Full control OR notNeutral

RegulationExisting OR not

Supporting OR Conflicting

Neutral

InformationSufficient OR notReliable OR not

Neutral

3: The Proponents: Who?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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4: THE RESOURCINGWHO FUNDS? 

4: The Resourcing: Who funds?

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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The need to look at innovative and reliable funding sources..

e.g. payment for ecosystem services; offsets, etc..

Key Message 4: The problem is fixable MJA, 2011. Sharing the Load 

Benefit (value) of the Environmental Assets/

Cost Doing Nothing (> $2B over next 20 yrs)Cost of the Interventions/

Management Actions ($0.3B)

<Benefit:Cost 

>7:1

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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A Voice for our Rivers: a value proposition

1. The Rationale: Rivers and basins provide significant 

ecosystem services

2. The Methodology: Understand, plan, measure,communicate, manage

3. The Proponents:  All of us

4. The Resourcing: need innovative funding approaches

Developing the Value Proposition

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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• Dispassionate

• Embrace complexity

• Publish & funding via

peer review• Getting it right

• Passionate

• Simplify

• Publish & funding via

stakeholders• Getting it done

STUDY SOLVE

In order to both study and solve problems, credibility, tenacity, creativity and virtue are needed 

Studying and Solving the Problem(thanks to Bill Dennison)

8/3/2019 WLW Day 1: A Voice for our Rivers: How do healthy river basins matter? by Dr. Eva Abal

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Thank you… Any questions…

Presentation Heading