Integrated Catchment Management

Science Review Day

ICM SCIENCE REVIEW DAY: How are we doing on the BIG ICM research issues? 

(ICM programme participants and invited stakeholders, at TDC Richmond. Please contact Andrew Fenemor or Rob Smith if interested but not specifically invited yet)


Facilitated discussion of research progress and further opportunities around the 4 original 'big picture' issues that generated this ICM research:

Building Human Capital and Opportunities for Community Participation
Resource Management Context: Recognising and developing social learning and robust knowledge systems among all relevant groups - including governments, scientists, iwi, landowners, sector and community - for progressing Integrated Catchment Management at both policy and on-the-ground action levels.

Allocation of Scarce Water Resources among Competing Land Uses
Resource Management Context: Managing water allocation for instream and out-of-stream uses through the Motueka Water Conservation Order, water allocation rules in the Tasman Resource Management Plan (Part V), and the Government's Water Programme of Action.

Managing Land Uses in Harmony with Freshwater Resources
Resource Management Context: Understanding and managing the factors that caused the decline then recovery of trout populations in the Motueka River, and declining water quality in parts of the catchment, including the impacts of sediment and benefits of riparian management.

Managing Land and Freshwater Resources to Protect Marine Values
Resource Management Context: Understanding and managing catchment impacts on Tasman Bay, and ecosystem processes within the Bay for supporting coastal and fisheries management, and allocating coastal space for aquaculture through the Tasman Resource Management Plan (Part III).

Associated with each of these BIG issues is a set of research and management questions. The objective is for a project leader in each issue area to

0830 Programme context setting and objectives of the day (Andrew Fenemor)

0900-1015 Social & Knowledge (Margaret, Will or Chris)

1030-1200 Water Allocation (Andrew or Tim)

1245-1415 Land-Freshwater (Roger Young & Les Basher)

1430-1545 Land-Water-Marine (Paul or Mark)

1545-1600 Synthesis (Glen or Andrew)

Here are a few of the big research questions 

(others can be found on the 2003 technical report 'The Motueka and Riwaka Catchments'):

How do people acquire and use scientific knowledge to make personal decisions about difficult resource management issues? What tools and approaches can we use to promote effective interaction between scientists, resource managers, and the community? What can we learn from iwi about the environment? What factors affect the uptake of science in resource management decision-making? How can we tell if we are making a difference? What are preferred development pathways to ensure continued sustainable management at catchment scale?

How do individual, local land uses affect the availability of ground and surface water over the entire catchment? Have these effects differed over time? What is the most defensible way to plan for the allocation of water resources among alternative uses in the event of shortages?

How is sediment mobilised to reach rivers, and what impacts does it have? What are the values of near- and in-stream habitats and how are these values affected by land and river management decisions? Why has the trout population declined? Will native fish be able to survive in the river? What are the benefits of riparian management?

What are the risks to marine farming from activities on land? How do rivers modify the transport of sediment and pollutants from land to sea? What are the factors that increase or decrease the production and values of fish and shellfish?

Day #3 Attendees: ICM programme participants (those from Day #2 except those with a specific marine focus) and interested individuals