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Quantitative analysis and integration of land-use and water management scenarios

As part of the Gnangara Sustainability Strategy, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is undertaking the following project:

The project

One of the challenges involved in developing a land and water use management plan for the Gnangara groundwater system is the strong interconnectedness between land-uses and the hydrological balance. This in turn affects consumptive water yields and the health of water-dependent ecosystems.

Current models have made a significant contribution to understanding water allocation and land-use on the system. They take into account a complex, dynamic, spatially distributed system in which rainfall, land-use, vegetative water demand and abstraction are interrelated.

However, analyses in the model are limited to physical relationships and impacts. At present it cannot be used to inform the social and economic trade-offs associated with land and water use decisions on the Gnangara system.

What will the project achieve?

A decision support model will be developed to enable this information to be integrated to assist in decision making.

A systematic process will be used that will define the land-use and water management options for consideration in local area plans.

For more information on these and other projects, please contact us at gss@water.wa.gov.au