Land and Water Link

16- May 2004

Tropical Rivers Forum

CSIRO celebrated World Wetlands Day in February with a two day forum on tropical rivers and their sustainability at the Northern Territory’s Charles Darwin University.

Focusing on the river system as a whole, the forum examined catchment land-use and the impacts of irrigation water extraction as well as fisheries on the functioning of tropical rivers, their wetlands, estuaries and near-shore environments.

Scientists met with representatives from industry, management, government and conservation groups, to identify the assets and processes that need protection and consider some of the possible scenarios that may have implications for natural resource management in the future.

‘117 delegates from 43 separate organisations attended’, forum organiser Dr Peter Gehrke explains. ‘This indicates the depth of interest in this issue at a national level. ‘With increasing social, political and business interest in the water resources of northern Australia’, says Dr Gehrke, ‘we need to be proactive in assembling, distilling and leading the science. This is critical to understanding and managing the long term health of Australia’s tropical river systems.’ Australia’s greatest river systems lie in the northern half of the continent, home to some 70% of Australia’s water resources.

A report sharing outcomes from the forum, sponsored by CSIRO Land and Water, Land and Water Australia, and the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forests, is now available at www.clw.csiro.au/publications/technical2004/tr17-04.pdf.

CSIRO Contact:
Dr Peter Gehrke