Comparative Evaluation of Environmental Flow Assessment Techniques: R & D Requirements

Abstract

This report is the final of four arising from the project ‘Comparative Evaluation of Environmental Flow Assessment Techniques’ funded by Environment Australia, the Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation (LWRRDC) and the National Landcare Program. An introduction to the project is provided in LWRRDC Occasional Paper Number 27/98 Comparative Evaluation of Environmental Flow Assessment Techniques: Review of Methods (Arthington & Zalucki 1998a). The objectives of the project are as follows. 1. Review currently used and available techniques for assessing flow requirements, so that water managers have the key information and recommendations on which techniques are suitable for which suite of environmental values, their limitations, advantages and cost-effectiveness. 2. Propose a ‘best practice’ framework for the application of techniques to environmental flow assessment. 3. Provide research and development priorities for the refinement, development and integration of the techniques to facilitate their use in water allocation and water reform. Reports arising from the project are: • Comparative Evaluation of Environmental Flow Assessment Techniques: R&D Requirements (Arthington, Pusey, Brizga, McCosker, Bunn & Growns, this report). • Comparative Evaluation of Environmental Flow Assessment Techniques: Best Practice Framework (Arthington, Brizga & Kennard 1998). • Comparative Evaluation of Environmental Flow Assessment Techniques: Review of Holistic Methodologies (Arthington 1998). • Comparative Evaluation of Environmental Flow Assessment Techniques: Review of Methods (Arthington & Zalucki 1998a). This report is concerned with R&D requirements and priorities to ensure the refinement, development and integration of methods and frameworks to facilitate their use in water allocation and water reform. It presents two main strands of R&D. 1. R&D required to improve individual methods of environmental flow assessment, based on the recommendations of the reviews contained in LWRRDC Occasional Paper Number 27/98, Comparative Evaluation of Environmental Flow Assessment Techniques: Review of Methods (Arthington & Zalucki 1998a). 2. R&D required to improve existing holistic methodologies and the proposed best practice framework for environmental flow assessment.