Independent scientific review of the Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Plan Water Resources Management Policy

[摘要] (Truncated) CSIRO was asked to provide an independent scientific review of Kangaroo Island water resources management policy developed by the Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board (KINRMB). The policy aims to achieve best practice water resources management that (i) promotes equitable and reasonable use of water by all landholders and water users, and (ii) protects aquatic and riparian and other water dependent ecosystems. Kangaroo Island (4370 km2) has 20 major rivers most of which are intermittent. Nearly 50 percent of its area is engaged in surface water dependent primary production. The annual rainfall varies across the Island ranging from 400 mm to 900 mm. To achieve its objectives the Board has divided the Island into two management zones (Zone A and Zone B) and plans to use two different methods (Method A and Method B) to calculate the Sustainable Use Limit (SUL) for its water courses. One of the major tasks of the current project is to review the assumptions and frameworks that underpin these two methods of SUL calculation. Appropriateness and validity of data used to support the policy are also examined including a review of the delineation of the Island’s water resources areas into two zones for policy implementation purpose.Analysis and interpretation of intensive rainfall and streamflow data were done to understand the underlying hydrological and climatic characteristics of the Island. Insights and outcomes obtained from the analysis provided the basis for many of the comments and advice given in this review. An extensive literature survey was undertaken to learn about the best practice land use management and examine the methods to calculate sustainable diversion limits (SDL) in other Australian jurisdictions and assess their relevance to the Kangaroo Island. There is limited literature on the calculation of SDLs and no straightforward method to calculate them as the SDL depends on the environmental water requirements, and social and economic factors which are hard to quantify. Consultations with the South Australian Department for Water (then Department of Water Land and Biodiversity Conservation) hydrologists, Department of Primary Industries and Resources of South Australia, SA Water and members of the Kangaroo Island water task force were carried out to gain background information on the policy and enquire about the availability of data and relevant literature.

[发布日期] 2011-05-01 [发布机构] CSIRO

[学科分类] 地球科学(综合)