Research Group Focus
Water and its management has rapidly become one of the most important environmental issues in the world. Australia, with nearly 70% of our land mass categorised as arid, is particularly vulnerable to water shortages. Many Australian rivers are regulated by dams, water diversions and levee banks. These affect downstream wetlands and rivers that provide important habitat for waterbirds. Wetlands are among some of the world's most diverse landscapes. Our research focuses on the key threats to biodiversity of rivers and wetlands and their conservation values, identification of ecological values and processes of unregulated rivers and linking scientific research to management and policy for river and wetland management.

 

Policy and management
We try to ensure that our research is relevant to future management and policy (water sharing plans, floodplain management plans) but recognising that understanding fundamental ecological processes is equally important. The research group is collaboratively involved with the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation in the development of sophisticated software for ensuring that the best available scientific information is available for water management and policy for catchments, rivers and wetlands.