Integrating Hydrology with Environment, Livelihood and Policy Issues: The Murrumbidgee Model

The multilevel stakeholder engagement in hydrological research and development of integrated catchment management tools and policies in the Murrumbidgee catchment in Australia helped it gain the status of reference catchment under the pilot phase (2001-02) of the Hydrology for Environment, Life and Policy (HELP) programme of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The competing water uses and environmental and economic concerns in the Murrumbidgee are typical of other arid catchments in the world. Both completed and ongoing hydrological projects are available that can be used to illustrate how communities, researchers and regulation bodies are involved in catchment management by developing appropriate geographic information system, hydrological, hydrologic-economic and educational models. The approach has been very influential in bringing about change in land and water management and in informing and guiding regional policy.