High-quality research and development, and improved monitoring and evaluation, are essential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of environmental water programs and optimise the protection and restoration of Australia’s environmental assets.
Credible science is a pre-requisite for industry and community support of bold public policy reforms. The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder’s (CEWH) role in managing environmental water is not only incredibly important, but also technically challenging because the science of environmental water management is relatively immature. Australia requires stable and adequate investment in strategic research and science to support improved environmental water management, solve its many unique water challenges, and to develop and maintain its expertise and research capacity.
Transparent monitoring and evaluation of outcomes from the use of environmental water is also critically important to the effectiveness of the Commonwealth’s investment in environmental water. The long-term success of the Murray Darling Basin Plan relies on maintaining community and political confidence that the procurement and use of environmental water is delivering its intended outcomes over time.
