Lacking character? A policy analysis of environmental watering of Ramsar wetlands in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia
Erin Kirsch A , Matthew J. Colloff
A B and Jamie Pittock A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: matthew.colloff@anu.edu.au
Marine and Freshwater Research 73(10) 1225-1240 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF21036
Submitted: 1 February 2021 Accepted: 9 April 2021 Published: 31 May 2021
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems are among the most vulnerable and endangered in the world, facing continued uncertainty under climate change, development of water resources and land use change. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (1971) is one of the longest-standing international agreements on biodiversity conservation. Its central objective is the maintenance of the ecological character of Wetlands of International Importance and the wise use of all wetlands. Here, we examine how the maintenance of ecological character has been addressed in Australia as part of the Murray–Darling Basin Plan, one of the most ambitious water reform programs to be undertaken globally and intended to restore water from irrigated agriculture to the environment. We analyse policy and planning documents from Commonwealth and state jurisdictions on the management of environmental water. Despite stated objectives to conserve Ramsar wetlands in the Basin Plan, we found a pattern of complex and convoluted arrangements for delivering environmental water to Ramsar wetlands and a lack of transparency and accountability about how Ramsar obligations are considered within each jurisdiction. We conclude that consideration of the ecological character of Ramsar wetlands has been marginalised by governments when managing environmental water, despite the statutory requirements to maintain these wetlands.
Keywords: ecosystem conservation, environmental flows, environmental governance, environmental policy, freshwater ecosystems.
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