Report: Benefits from Australia's tropical wetlands

Australia (AU): The Australian Government’s Department of Environment, Water, Hertiage & Arts has recently published the report “Integrated assessment of wetland services and values as a tool to analyse policy trade-offs and management options: A case study in the Daly and Mary River catchments, northern Australia”.

The report was co-authored by EarthCollective members Bas Verschuuren and Matthew Zylstra and synthesises their own and colleagues extensive research carried out during 2004-2005.

The full report as well as online summary is available here on the Australian Government website.

The report is a contribution to the Tropical Rivers Inventory and Assessment Project (TRIAP) of Australia’s Tropical Rivers Program. The aim was to provide a framework for the analysis of the ecosystem services provided by the wetland and riverine ecosystems of northern Australia. The analyses drew heavily on the conceptual framework provided by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) where ecosystem services were defined as ‘the benefits people obtain from ecosystems’.

In accordance with the above, an assessment of the ecosystem services and values (ecological, socio-cultural and economic) of selected wetlands in northern Australia (with a focus on the Daly and Mary River catchments) was undertaken and the results incorporated into a practical framework and guidelines for integrated assessment and valuation of wetland services.

Relevant policies and management strategies that address wetland functions and services in the Daly and Mary River catchments were analysed and trade-offs that contributed to the development of options for the sustainable ‘multi-functional use’ of the wetlands highlighted.

The assessment entailed consultation and active involvement with many stakeholders, such as governmental organisations, local associations and corporations, NGOs and community-based groups, and land-owners and managers to collect information and incorporate their views and respective interests. The reserach was based on the outcomes and approaches suggested in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment for undertaking social and ecosystem-based analyses in complex systems.