Groundwater dependent ecosystems include wetlands, baseflow ecosystems, stygofauna (fauna living within aquifers), estuarine and marine ecosystems, fauna and terrestrial vegetation. The nature and degree of their dependence on groundwater varies significantly. Often groundwater dependent ecosystems rely on groundwater for a certain period of time and without access the result can be irreversible ecological damage or long recovery periods. This new National Water Commission report uses seven case studies to capture information on the range and extent of management tools available and the effectiveness of water planning policy controls in protecting groundwater dependent ecosystems. It attempts to capture the current status of the scientific knowledge (data and analysis) for supporting effective policy decisions related to the protection and management of groundwater dependent ecosystems.
This Waterlines publication will be of interest to a broad audience including decision makers, water planners and policy makers, water managers, ecosystem and catchment managers, environmental regulators, and water authorities. Follow this link to download the report.
Thank you to Vol Norris for sending us through this information about the upcoming 4th Lake Eyre Basin Aboriginal Forum, to be be held on the 13 – 15 September in Tibooburra, New South Wales. The theme for this year’s conference is: Water, land and connections across the Lake Eyre Basin – sharing the journey and passing on knowledge. The forum is an opportunity for Aboriginal people of the Lake Eyre Basin to come together to share stories and thoughts about the future of the Basin and how to look after it. Young Aboriginal people are especially encouraged to participate. There will also be an opportunity to contribute to the production of the Lake Eyre Basin Aboriginal Map, as well as explore the Tibooburra region on local field trips. See the flyer for information about the Forum program, registration and arrangements for accommodation, travel and meals. There is no registration fee for this event.
In 2009, the National Water Commission (NWC) funded the establishment of a Community of Practice for Environmental Water Managers, and supported the group’s activities for the first two years. After this, the Community’s future relied on members interest in retaining the group, and it becoming self-sustaining. In a recent member survey, over 85% of respondents saw value and benefit in remaining a member of the Community. The Australian Water Association and NWC responded to this support by collaborating to form the Environmental Water Management Specialist Network.
You are invited to join this Network and:
- Be part of a professionally recognised group working in environmental water management
- Have opportunities to network and build contacts with like minded water professionals
- Learn from others and share experiences
- Receive and contribute to regular e-newsletter and access an interactive website
- Propose professional development activities relevant to your practice
- Participate in upcoming events such as: Riversymposium Workshop: Does Science really matter in Environmental Water Management?
The network will be one of 16 AWA national networks that provide the opportunity for water professionals to come together to discuss best practice and latest developments, build relationships and access professional development.
In an exclusive offer until 30 September, 2011 Members of the Community of Practice can join the Environmental Water Management Specialist Network for only $40 (inc gst). This fee is for the first year and is tax deductible. Join up by following this link and once registered select the “Environmental Water Managers” Member Type/Level. For more information visit website for the community of practice . As a member of the Steering Committee for the Community of Practice I encourage you to sign up and be part of this great initiative.
Siwan
Understanding the formal and informal communication networks in your organisation is crucial to managing successfully.
The ARRC works with organisations and people across a number of different disciplines. Recently we have been developing a partnership with Graham Durant-Law, who specialised in social network analysis. This is a fascinating area of work, and we are finding that when this analytical tool is combined with qualitative evaluation techniques, an in-depth and much more insightful understanding is gained about how relationships and networks in an organisation are helping or hindering the achievement of goals. Graham has provided us with an introduction to social network analysis that we hope you find interesting….
With businesses increasingly operating with an evolving and interconnected series of networks, the need for analytical techniques to understand these relationships is growing. Social network analysis views relationships in terms of network theory, with each network made up of individuals or organisations and their interdependency. The resulting structures are often very complicated, but when analysed can reveal knowledge flows, relationships and social capital in an organisation, as shown in the map below.
There are a number of ways of mapping the networks of interest to your organisation. Structured interviews with staff can be used to provide detailed data on communication patterns, the flow of knowledge, and power and support networks in an organisation. Other techniques use on-line surveys with a greater degree of automation, and can sometimes include data from emails and documents. For example the To: and From: fields in emails can be used along with frequency data, to generate a network visualisation and associated metrics.
Read more »
Nerida sent me this link to a great website called Psychology Today. One of the topics that is focused on is the power of stories, as they are told across many different disciplines, topics, countries and languages. As the website states:
Telling stories is the best way to teach, persuade, and even understand ourselves
I have found myself over the past few days going through the richness of stories contained on this site. They cover mental illness, the need for us to tell powerful stories if we want to promote change, and the research that has shown how stories result in a direct hit:
stories leap frog technology and go straight to the brain
We encourage you to go and look at the site for yourself, as we feel confident it will inspire and interest you.
Siwan and Nerida
Groundwater dependent ecosystems include wetlands, baseflow ecosystems, stygofauna (fauna living within aquifers), estuarine and marine ecosystems, fauna and terrestrial vegetation. The nature and degree of their dependence on groundwater varies significantly. Often groundwater dependent ecosystems rely on groundwater for a certain period of time and without access the result can be irreversible ecological damage or long recovery periods. This new National Water Commission report uses seven case studies to capture information on the range and extent of management tools available and the effectiveness of water planning policy controls in protecting groundwater dependent ecosystems. It attempts to capture the current status of the scientific knowledge (data and analysis) for supporting effective policy decisions related to the protection and management of groundwater dependent ecosystems.
News, Resources | Siwan Lovett | 
29 July 2011 4:56 pm | 
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