System Thinking and Multi-Agency Decision Framework for Integrated Water Resource Management

Amgad ELMAHDI, CSIRO LAND AND WATER

Abstract

Global warming and drought conditions lead to reduced water availability. Competing and conflicting water uses and other water-related environmental problems are rapidly increasing in many parts of the world, including Australia. Moreover, water demand for irrigation is driven by cropping activities which, result in higher river flows during summer and altered flow regimes that in turn alter the seasonality of flows considering climatic uncertainty. This can have important ecological and economic impacts. Therefore, there is a need to explore new management system to integrate all the available information and values (economic, environmental and social) considering uncertainty involved to better understand the trade-off between environmental performance and water productivity.

Using a combined system-dynamics and optimisation approach, plus spatial and modelling data, an integrated hydrological economic environmental model (DSS) can be developed to assist the land and water managers to make decisions based on the evaluation of the trade-off between Agricultural productivity and environmental performances with the triple bottom line (environmental, social and economic).