Framework

Set Management Targets

An essential step in a conjunctive water management approach is the setting of management targets in the catchment. These define the goals that management is focussed on, and are directed at addressing the management issues defined for the catchment. Quantifying and negotiating these targets with catchment groups and others can be supported by an understanding of catchment processes, developed through baseline assessment, conceptualisation and construction of predictive models.

Management targets are typically set within the broader natural resource management structures operating in the catchment. In many cases, there are pre-existing water quality, water quantity or environmental targets established through previous processes of biophysical assessment, economic analysis and stakeholder consultation. Such targets depend on the specific management issues being addressed, so they can be many and varied. Some typical catchment targets include:

  1. the sustainable yield limit placed on allocation of surface water and groundwater resources;
  2. the end-of-valley stream salinity target expressed at a key gauging station; and
  3. minimum flows or flow duration curves developed for meeting environmental water requirements.

As the setting of targets is an integral part of catchment management, there are a number of national (and international) initiatives aimed at providing consistency and robustness.

National Framework for NRM Standards and Targets

The Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council (NRMMC), representing Australian state and territory governments, has been established to develop a coordinated approach to issues affecting natural resource management in Australia. As part of this process, the Council has endorsed the National Framework for Natural Resource Management Standards and Targets

This national framework sets out national outcomes that investment in natural resource management (through programs such as the NAP and the NHT) should work to achieve. The framework also identifies Matters for Target, designed to help focus efforts to achieve the national outcomes, namely:

  1. land salinity;
  2. soil condition;
  3. native vegetation communities' integrity;
  4. inland aquatic ecosystems integrity (rivers and other wetlands);
  5. estuarine, coastal and marine habitats integrity;
  6. nutrients in aquatic environments;
  7. turbidity/suspended particulate matter in aquatic environments;
  8. surface water salinity in freshwater aquatic environments;
  9. significant native species and ecological communities;
  10. ecologically significant invasive species;
  11. critical assets identified and protected;
  12. water allocation plans developed and implemented; and
  13. improved land and water management practices adopted.

As part of the planning process, regional NRM plans will need to set regional targets for all relevant 'matters for target' listed in the framework. To monitor progress against the targets and performance of investments made under programs such as the NAP and NHT, a suite of related indicators has been developed under the National Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. By promoting consistency in setting and measuring progress towards targets within and across regions, the indicators will contribute to overall assessments of resource condition.

The catchment targets can fall into three categories:

  1. aspirational targets, that establish the vision for catchment management in terms of the long-term (eg >50 years) goal for improvement in land and water resource condition;
  2. achievable resource condition targets, that are the specific, time-bound and measurable targets for catchment management, typically over the 10-20 year timeframe e.g. end-of-valley average stream salinity, percentage sites with particular river condition status; and
  3. management action targets, that are short-term (1-5 years) and relate to management actions or capacity building e.g. hectares of riparian vegetation fenced.

Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting

As an international example of NRM target setting, SEEA 2003, Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting has been established by the United Nations Statistics Division to combine economic and environmental information into a common framework. Indicators and descriptive statistics are used to monitor how the environment contributes to the economy, and the impact on the environment by the economy. The account consists of four components:

  1. flow accounts for pollution, energy and materials, which provide information at the industry level about the use of energy and materials as inputs to production and the generation of pollutants and solid waste;
  2. environmental protection and resource management expenditure accounts, which identify expenditures incurred by industry, government and households to protect the environment or to manage natural resources;
  3. natural resource asset accounts, which record stocks and changes in stocks of natural resources such as land, fish, forest, water and minerals; and
  4. valuation of non-market flow and environmentally adjusted aggregates, which present non-market valuation techniques and their applicability in answering specific policy questions.