Catchments have a critical role in ensuring water security and maintaining the health of our ecosystems. They underpin Australia's economy, environment and society.
The proposed centre for Transforming Water Catchments will radically change catchment management in Australia by integrating advanced, state-of-the-art technology with decision-making needs.
Co-creation of tools and scenarios will generate a novel and trusted interface that integrates and interprets existing data and knowledge, whilst using technological advances to ensure effective, timely decisions based on current data and models of social, economic and environmental systems.
Vision and mission
The proposed centre for Transforming Water Catchments will examine the interconnectedness of land and water, balancing competing demands for water resources while safeguarding ecosystem integrity and promoting resilience to climate change and other stressors. The centre's goal is to demonstrate sustainable catchment management approaches for a wide range of sectors that support human well-being, nature-positive solutions and socioeconomic development.
The centre will take a unique approach to harmonising technology, data and models in an interdisciplinary way to tackle catchment management. It will act as a conduit across government, First Nations' peoples, communities and institutions to support the information needs of decision-makers. Policymakers, natural resource managers and other key stakeholders will be able to confidently predict mitigation outcomes, consider different plausible scenarios, and design targeted catchment management solutions at the appropriate scale.
The forward-looking, interdisciplinary approach of the centre will place emphasis on cross-cultural frameworks to influence policy, practice, science and theory, aligned with the values and perspectives of different cultures, communities and stakeholders.
Themes
The objective of the program is to establish a world-class team to tackle research challenges in partnership with local communities, industry, government, and international institutions. The Centre for Transforming Water Catchments consists of three primary research programs integrated across four unifying themes.
Emerging technologies
The new generation of multi-modal technologies for data management will be used to promote confidence, trust and sustainability of information flows, relationships and IP, and interpretation of data
First Peoples' empowerment
Indigenous values will be embedded in the Centre's research through co-partnerships and co-design to empower custodianship of land, water and the emerging generation of First Peoples.
Education and training
The next generation of researchers and practitioners will develop the skills to build effective relationships and synthesise and interpret whole-of-system processes across catchments in a range of different settings.
Governance and social systems
The Centre will provide the underpinning research to support the legal and institutional frameworks necessary to achieve its objective to transform water catchment management and decision making.
Research programs
Enabling
AI and machine learning will provide unprecedented levels of quality assurance and collation of data from multiple diverse sources including emerging technologies like eDNA, remote sensing, and genomics, as well as conventional monitoring, socio-economic and health data.
Harmonise
Trusted, open data from the Enabling program will be synthesised, harmonised in time and space, and arranged hierarchically through data dashboards, models and visualisations to communicate complex catchment information that engages multiple stakeholders including First Nations’ peoples, local communities and decision makers.
Transform
The distillation of catchment data will support high-quality decision making for water plans and policies, and natural capital and repair markets to address the multiple complex challenges of climate change, contestation for water rights, and expanding human populations.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is committed to tackling global challenges around clean water and sanitation, life on land and partnerships for the goals.
Partner benefits
The proposed centre seeks to partners in Australia to deliver the step change needed to transform catchment management. Specific water research foci will be guided by an extensive consultation process with local communities, First Nations’ peoples, industry and government, providing opportunities for collaboration and networking.
Interdisciplinary collaboration
Enabling resilient water catchments and transformation in decision making requires collaboration among various disciplines such as ecology, environment, hydrology, geology, engineering, IT and social sciences. The proposed centre will play a critical role building and maintaining collaboration among experts from diverse fields to develop holistic solutions.
Stakeholder engagement, including cultural knowledge sharing
Catchment management involves multiple stakeholders and end-users, including government departments, local and indigenous communities, not-for profit organisations, and industry. The proposed centre will engage key stakeholders in decision-making processes, fostering partnerships, and finding solutions for mutual interests to achieve common goals.
Technological innovation
Advances in technology, such as AI and machine learning, remote sensing, and modelling tools, can revolutionise catchment monitoring, assessment, and planning. To break down current barriers, the proposed centre will develop and facilitate adoption of innovative technologies and ensure access to these tools for stakeholders with varying levels of expertise and resources.
Trusted data integration
Effective catchment management relies on the availability of trusted and accurate data. The proposed centre will provide a federated hub – to integrate real-time and other monitoring data and models on key factors such as water quality, quantity, biodiversity, ecosystem health, and socioecological and economic.
Governance and policy reform
In many cases, existing policies and governance structures may impede sustainable catchments management. The proposed centre will drive policy reforms through our partners ultimately leading to sustainable water management practices, incentivising conservation and restoration efforts, and promote adaptive governance approaches and support the growing nature market.
Capacity building and education
Training our future water leaders and building capacity of stakeholders, including communities, policymakers and practitioners is essential for effective and sustainable catchment management that has a lasting impact. The proposed centre will co-develop training, education and outreach programs to enhance understanding of catchment dynamics, ecosystem services and the importance of resilience.