RQF 2007 Trial Guidelines
1.
Name of Research Grouping: Integrated Irrigated Catchment Management
2.
Home Panel:
Panel 2 Physical, Chemical and Earth sciences
3.
Up to three 4 Digit RFDC Codes: ____2605___%60__: 2910_______%20__:
_3402_____%__20
Up to three 4 Digit SEO Codes: _6205______%40__:
_7700_____%_40_: 7799 ______%_20_
4.
Name of
Researchers
1 John Blackwell
3 John Louis
4 Ben Wilson
5 Shahbaz khan
6.Remy Dehaan
7. Richard Culas
8. Nadeem Asghar
9. Shahbaz Mustaq
Level
Prof;
Ass Prof
Senior
Lecturer
Prof;
Lecturer
Lecturer
Scientist
Scientist
TOTAL
M/F
FTE
ECR
RFCD Code
SEO
Code
M
M
M
100%
100%
100%
N
N
N
2605
2605
2605
620500
620500
620500
M
M
M
M
M
50%
50%
100%
100%
100%
N
Y
Y
N
Y
2605
2910
3402
2605
2605
620500
779902
770000
620500
620500
7.0 FTE
Blackwell John, 4 Best Publications
1.
Khan, S., Tariq, R., Yuanlai, C., and Blackwell, J. (2006). Can irrigation be sustainable?
Agricultural Water Management, 80 (no. 1-3): 87-99.
Most of the worlds irrigation systems, particularly those established in high evaporation environments,
rarely last for 200 years. This paper examines the historical reasons for this phenomenon, identifies the
challenges to attaining Irrigation sustainability by comparing 3 irrigation areas around the globe,
Australia, China and Pakistan. Drawing conclusions from these comparisons shows that we have not
really progressed since Mesopotamian times and that we need better quantification of the processes
involved in the sustainability of irrigation areas. Agricultural Water Management is a highly respected
international Water journal
Impact Factor 2006: 1.122, Google Scholar citations: 4
2.
Jayawardane, N., Biswas, T., Blackwell, J., and Cook, F. (2004). A review of the land FILTER
technique for treatment and reuse of sewage effluent and other wastewater. in: Juhasz, A.,
Magesan, G., and Naidu, R. (eds), Urban waste management in Australasia-Pacific region, Science
Publishing Inc. Emfield: 249-275.
Globally land based treatment of urban sewage effluent is rarely efficacious and often prohibitively
expensive, FILTER addresses both of these issues effectively The field trials in both China and Australia
indicate that the FILTER system offers opportunities for sustainable irrigated cropping with saline urban
wastewater on degraded salinised lands. It is also capable of removing the major pollutants in
wastewaters such as nutrients, BOD, COD, total suspended solids, E.coli and agricultural chemicals that
adsorb onto the soil during filtration, thereby increasing the potential reuse of the drainage water for
downstream irrigation and other uses. The pollutant load reduction rates were comparable at the two
sites at Griffith and Wuqing with clay and silty clay soils, respectively.
3.
Peng, X., Horn, R., Deery, D., Kirkham, M., and Blackwell, J. (2005). Influence of soil structure on
the shrinkage behaviour of a soil irrigated with saline-sodic water. Australian Journal of Soil
Research, 43 (no. 4): 555-563.
This paper demonstrates that it is possible to maintain good soil structure in sodic red-brown earths if
irrigated with waste waters of high salinity and sodicity. The experiments were carried out on soils from
the Griffith City Council’ FILTER sites. The results show that 33% leeching could be maintained
indefinitely thus assuring that the system is sustainable in the long term, thus demonstrating the
economic feasibility of the system over traditional land based systems such as forestry, or traditional
chemical removal of nitrogen and phosphorous. Australian Journal of Soil Research has been the
premier soil science journal of the Asia-Pacific region since 1963. It attracts an enthusiastic international
1
authorship due to its breadth of scope and recognition of emerging issues in land care and
environmental science. Impact Factor 1.072, Google Scholar citations: 3
4.
Blackwell, J., Jayawardane, N., Biswas, T., and Christen, E. (2005). Evaluation of a sequential
biological concentration system in natural resource management of a saline irrigated area.
Australian Journal of Water Resources, 9 (no. 2): 169-176.
The Sequential Biological Concentration (SBC) system described, and scientifically proven, overcomes
the basic cause of failure in an irrigation scheme, poor drainage and no environmentally acceptable
receiver of that drainage This paper describes a Sequential Biological Concentration system to treat MIA
drainage waters on a communal basis, thus allowing the MIA farms to continue to drain freely, a
prerequisite to sustainable irrigation and a potential solution to the problems faced by the MIA in terms
of rising water tables and associated salinity, considered to be the greatest threat to the future
development of the region.
John Louis, 4 Best Publications
1.
Edirisinghe, A., Louis, J. and Chapman, G., 2004, Potential for Calibrating Airborne Video Imagery
using Pre-flight Calibration Coefficients. Photogrammetric Engineering. & Remote Sensing Vol. 70,
No 5, pp. 573 - 580. Google Scholar citations: 1
One of the limitations of low cost agricultural imaging systems is the need place radiometric calibration
targets within the experimental scene. This is not always possible or convenient. This paper outlines a
methodology for radiometrically calibrating images using instrument pre-flight calibration data and
without the need for in field calibration targets. This paper won the 2005 John L Davidson Award for
Practical Papers from the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. This paper arose
from a doctoral project, forming part of a larger research project developing low cost airborne imaging
systems, for which I was the principal investigator.
2.
Lamb, D.W., Bunganaen, Y., Louis, J.P., Woolsey, G.A., Oliver, R.L. and White, G., 2004, Fibre
evanescent field absorption (FEFA): an optical fibre technique for measuring light absorption in
turbid water samples. Marine and Freshwater Research, 55, 533-543. Google Scholar citations: 1
This paper describes a novel technique for measuring the concentration of pigments in turbid water
using the evanescent light field from a fiber optic. This the advantage of this technique is that it
eliminates the sensitivity problems of traditional direct transmission systems that are cause by light
scattering due to water turbidity. My contribution to this work was associated with the mathematical
analysis and modeling of the system
3.
Hall, A., Louis, J. and Lamb, D., 2003, Chacterising and mapping vineyard canopy using highspatial-resolution aerial multispectral images. Computers & Geoscience, Vol 29/7 pp 813-822.
This paper represents a break in the methodology associated with high spatial resolution imaging of
orchard & viticulture crops. The paper describes a novel method for partitioning the field into crop and
inter-row space. A subsequent paper, using this methodology, has clearly identified pixel mixing as
being the primary driver behind the correlation between LAI & NDVI that has traditionally been reported
in courser spatial images. My contribution to this work was in mathematical & algorithmic aspects of the
paper and as the principal supervisor of the associated doctoral project.
4.
Mount, N.J., Louis, J.P., Teeuw, R.M., Zukowskyj and Stott, T., 2003, Estimation of Error in
Bankfull Width Comparisons from Temporally Sequenced Raw and Corrected Aerial Photographs,
Geomorphology, 56(1), 65 - 77. Google Scholar citations: 3
This paper describes a methodology for using modern GIS / Spatial Analysis techniques to estimate the
error in bank full width calculations from satellite image data. My contribution to this paper was towards
the mathematical analysis.
Ben Wilson, 4 Best Publications
1
Wilson, B.P. (2005) Classification issues for the Hydrosol and Organosol Soil Orders to better
encompass surface acidity and deep sulfidic horizons in acid sulfate soils. Australian Journal of
Soil Research 43; 629-638 DEST points 1
This paper is first and currently only paper to address the important issue of classification of sulfidic
soils. It is currently being reviewed for inclusion into the next review of the Australian Soil Classification
System. Impact Factor: 1.072
2
2.
Wilson, B.P. (2005) Elevations of pyritic layers in acid sulfate soils: what do they indicate about sea
levels during the Holocene in eastern Australia. Catena 62; 45-56.
This study was the first large scale examination of the stratigraphic relationships of acid sulfate soils in
Australia that described the relationship between sea level rise during the Holocene and acid sulfate
soils. DEST points 1, Impact Factor: 1.285
3.
Hamilton, A. J., Robinson, W., Taylor I. R. and B.P. Wilson (2005). The ecology of sewage
treatment gradients in relation to their use by waterbirds. Hydrobiologia. 534; 91-108. DEST point
0.25, Impact Factor: 1.049, Google Scholar citations: 1
4.
Hamilton, A.J, Taylor, I.R and Wilson B.P. (2003). Potential Impact of future sewage treatment
changes on waterbird use of the Lake Borrie ponds at the Western treatment plant: a theoretical
discussion. Water. November; 45-48. DEST point 0.33
Shahbaz Khan, 4 Best Publications
1.
Khan S., Rana T., Yuanli C., Blackwell J. (2006) Can irrigation be sustainable? Agricultural Water
Management 80:87–99.
Most of the worlds irrigation systems, particularly those established in high evaporation environments,
rarely last for 200 years. This paper examines the historical reasons for this phenomenon, identifies the
challenges to attaining Irrigation sustainability by comparing 3 irrigation areas around the globe,
Australia, China and Pakistan. Drawing conclusions from these comparisons shows that we have not
really progressed since Mesopotamian times and that we need better quantification of the processes
involved in the sustainability of irrigation areas. Agricultural Water Management is a highly respected
international Water journal. Impact Factor 2006: 1.122, Google Scholar citations: 4
2.
Khan S., (2005) “Rethinking Rational Solutions for Irrigation Salinity” Australian Journal of Water
Resources, Special Issue on Salinity Engineering – Vol 9, No 2:129 -140
Salinity management poses significant socio-economic and environmental issues in Australia. This
paper outlines vision for future salinity management based on sound land and water management
practices with the involvement of gross root communities, governments and policy makers. This
approach is now being implemented in several catchments in Australia.
3.
Khan S. (2004) Integrating hydrology with environment, livelihood and policy issues – the
Murrumbidgee Model. Special Volume on Hydrology for the Environment Life and Policy. Water
Resources Development Vol. 20, No. 3: 415-429. Water Resources Development: Impact factor:
0.39
This work was supported by UNESCO under its Hydrology for Environment, Life and Policy (HELP)
programme. The multilevel stakeholder engagement in hydrological research and development of
integrated catchment management tools and policies in the Murrumbidgee catchment in Australia
helped to gain the status of reference catchment under the pilot phase (2001–02). The approach has
been very influential in bringing about change in land and water management and informing and guiding
regional policy, the model is now being implemented in 28 catchments around the globe.
4.
Khan S., Xevi E., and Meyer W. S. (2003) Salt, Water and Groundwater Management Models to
Determine Sustainable Cropping Patterns in Shallow Saline Groundwater Regions – Special
volume of the Journal of Crop Production titled Crop Production in Saline Environments. 325-340.
Co-published simultaneously in Crop Production in Saline Environments, Global and Integrative
Perspectives, Ed Sham S. Goyal, Surinder K. Sharma and D. Williams, Haworth Press. Invited
paper.
This suite of SWAGMAN models is being used worldwide as an important tool for water and drainage
managers. Google Scholar citations: 2
3
Remy Dehaan, 4 Best Publications (ECR)
1.
Dehaan, R. & Taylor, G. (2006). Mapping indicators of soil salinity using HyMap hyperspectral
imagery. International Journal of Geoinformatics 2(1), 61-78.
This is a new journal servicing the Australasian market and as such does not have an impact factor yet.
Chosen because this paper represents the first attempt to map dryland salinisation in Australian
landscapes using hyperspectral imagery. It provides a methodology for using this cutting-edge
technology to effectively characterise the plant and soil characteristics in this environment.
2.
Dehaan, R. & Taylor, G. (2002). Field-derived spectral endmembers as indicators of irrigation
induced soil salinity. Remote Sensing of the Environment 80(3), 406-417. Google Scholar citations:
25.
This is the leading International Spatial Science journal in my discipline. This is the first work to
demonstrate that imaging spectrometry can measure both soil and vegetation indicators of salinity. This
provides managers with an inexpensive method of mapping salinisation and monitoring land
degradation. Research in this area led to an invitation to present a keynote address to the US
Department of Agriculture, Los Angeles in 2002. Importantly this research has been adopted by the
Victorian Department of Primary Industries and has formed the basis of their current research program
for mapping catchment soil salinity. Impact Factor 0.98
3.
Dehaan, R. & Taylor, G. (2003). Image-derived spectral endmembers as indicators of salinisation.
International Journal of Remote Sensing 24(4), 775-794. Google Scholar citations: 8.
This paper builds on the previous paper (2002) developing methodologies for using this cutting-edge
imagery to map salinisation without the need for field data. Impact Factor 3.064
Richard Culas, 4 Best Publications (ECR)
1.
Culas, R. J (2006): “Debt and Deforestation: A Review of Causes and Empirical Evidence”, Journal
of Developing Societies, Volume 22 (4): 347-358.
This paper is published in an internationally refereed journal. It examines the hypothesis that heavy
foreign debt of developing countries causes high rate of tropical deforestation through forestland
clearing for agricultural expansion. The paper reviews possible causal links between debt, agricultural
expansion and deforestation and empirically evident that the debt and deforestation are positively linked.
The paper concludes with a view that reducing the debt burden of developing countries can widen
opportunities for better environmental policies. It is now being placed in sixth among the fifty mostfrequently read articles published in the Journal of developing Societies updated in June 2007.
2. Culas, R. J (2006): “Causes of Farm Diversification Over Time: An Australian Perspective on an
Eastern Norway Model”, AFBM Journal, Volume 3 (1), p. 1-9.
This paper is published in a refereed Australasian journal. It deal with risk which can be related to
production, marketing, financial and environmental aspects of the production. Diversification is a way out
for managing the risk and that this paper analyse how the diversification can be influenced by various
other factors, for instance in a farming situation. The results suggest that diversification and farm size
are positively linked and that farm specialisation may not be environmentally desirable. The analysis has
been done for a Norwegian farming sector but results of which have implications for farmers in Australia
and anywhere else.
3.
Culas, R. J (2003): “Impact of Credit Policy on Agricultural Expansion and Deforestation”, Tropical
Agricultural Research, Volume 15, p. 257-287. Google Scholar citations: 1.
This paper addresses important of agricultural credit programs for farmers in developing countries since
agricultural credit has been an important policy tool for improving agricultural productivity and farmer’s
income. This paper extent a theoretical model of agricultural production to analyse the policy effect of
agricultural credit programs on deforestation for subsistent- and profit-oriented farmers. Empirical
evidences support that access to credit for the poor farmers is important to purchase adequate fertilizer
inputs, which can increase land’s productivity thereby limit agricultural land expansion into forestland by
deforestation. This paper has been published in a refereed journal and available through CAB database.
4
Nadeem Asghar, 4 Best Publications
1.
Ali, G., M.N. Asghar, M. Latif, and Z. Hussain, 2004. Optimizing operational strategies of scavenger
wells in lower Indus basin of Pakistan. Agricultural Water Management, 66 (2004): 239-249. Impact
factor of this journal: 2006: 1.122
In the Lower Indus Basin of Pakistan, where rainfall is low and water use is high, more than 350
scavenger wells were installed under the Left Bank Outfall Drain Stage –1 (LBOD-1) with a capital cost
of US$ 12.75 million to provide drainage and recover fresh groundwater mainly for irrigation purposes.
This paper highlights the environmental issues caused by the pumping and disposal of saline
groundwater. and evaluates the hydraulic performance of two scavenger wells (PSW1A and PSW2)
representing different hydro-geological conditions in the Lower Indus Basin. Using two numerical models
(MODFLOW and MT3D), changes in the operational strategies of such wells have been recommended.
2.
Qureshi, A.S., M.N. Asghar, S. Ahmad, and I, Masih, 2004. Sustaining crop production in saline
groundwater areas: A case study from Pakistani Punjab. Australian Journal of Agricultural
Research, 55(4): 421-431. Impact factor of this journal: 2006: 1.133
Waterlogging and salinity are widely acknowledged to adversely affect production of about 50% of the
world’s irrigated land, though the severity of the problem varies. Currently, more than one hundred
countries throughout the world have a very serious salinity problem including the Pakistani Punjab. This
paper describes the problem precisely and suggests a sustainable solution to both waterlogging and
salinity. A cost effective and technically feasible design, guidelines and operational strategies for
skimming wells are offered using a transient modelling approach using MODFLOW and SWAP
3.
Saeed, M.M., M. Ashraf, and M.N. Asghar, 2003. Hydraulic and hydro-salinity behavior of
skimming wells under different pumping regimes. Agricultural Water Management, 61 (2003): 163177. Impact factor of this journal: 2006: 1.122, Google Scholar citations: 1
4.
Asghar, M.N., S.A. Prathapar, and M.S. Shafique, 2002. Extracting relatively-fresh groundwater
from aquifers underlain by salty groundwater. Agricultural Water Management 52 (2002): 119-137.
Impact factor of this journal: 2006: 1.122
The demand for fresh water within the Indus basin of Pakistan has increased enormously over the past
two decades with the increase in population. Groundwater extractions have increased exponentially
both in the private and public sectors. Conventional pumping technology has failed to extract the shallow
fresh groundwater lenses that exist on around 30% of the Indus basin. Tubewell discharges are too
large for the given hydrological capacity of the underlying aquifer. These two papers present the
outcomes of computer simulation and field experimental studies conducted for appropriately designing
and adequately defining the operational management strategies of skimming wells so that reliable and
better quality of pumped groundwater is ensured.
Shahbaz Mushtaq (ECR)
1.
Mushtaq. S., D. Dawe, H. Lin and P. Moya. 2006. An Assessment of the Role of Ponds in Adoption
of Water Saving Irrigation (WSI) Practices in the Zhanghe Irrigation System (ZIS), China.
Agricultural Water Management, Vol. 83, Pages 100-110 Impact Factor 1.12
This research work has resulted outstanding adoption models for water saving irrigation practices for
rice. This research has improved the understanding of the key factors influencing the adoption of water
saving irrigation practices in China. The key finding has been taken up by the Chinese government in
addressing the key constraints for water saving irrigation technology for rice. The research work is
widely appreciated in the CGIAR system, especially by IRRI and IWMI.
2.
Khan, S., M.N. Asghar, J. Zirilli, and S. Mushtaq, 2006. Feasibility of Box Creek salinity
management to achieve salinity benefits for Murray Irrigation Area. Consultancy Report, UNESCO’s
International Centre of Water for Food Security, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia.
70p. Conference Paper
5
The Context Statement
The Institute for Land, Water and Society (ILWS) was formed in 2005, to contribute to the designated
major research area of “Agriculture, Wine Science, Land, Water and Rural Society”. The ILWS mission
is “to be an internationally recognised provider of integrated research that is contributing to enhance
social and environmental sustainability in rural and regional areas”. The Institute has been formally
accredited by the University up to 2011 and support has been guaranteed over this period. The
University provides approximately $350,000 per annum to support the Institute. ILWS contains five
discipline groups, one of which ‘Water Systems’ forms the basis of this RQF submission. The
outstanding research contributions from the ILWS Water Systems Group have led to its recent
accreditation as an independent CSU research center, “The International Centre of Water for Food
Security” (hereafter ‘the Centre’) from 2008.
The strategic focus of the Centre is to: “Implement studies and research related to sustainable water
resource development in the context of hydrology for food production in rural and peri-urban irrigated
catchments”. With the aim to reduce poverty and help in achieving the UN’s “Millennium Development
goals,” particularly: Goal 1. Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty; Goal 7. Ensure environmental
sustainability; Goal 8. Develop global partnerships for development.
Charles Sturt University has committed significant technical resources (Table 1) to the Centre through
academic and scientific research staff and state of the art laboratories. The University has appointed two
new chairs in hydrology and agricultural water management who will shape and lead this overall effort.
The Centre has signed memoranda of collaboration with the Philippines, Pakistan, China, United
Kingdom, and GHD Pty Ltd.
Table 1. CSU contribution to the International Centre of WATER for Food Security
Item
AUS$
Buildings for the basic site of the Centre
350,000
Office equipment
100,000
Forums, workshops and publications
50,000
Personnel wages and salaries
250,000
Other expenses
20,000
Total
770,000
The Centre has existing linkages and research activities with AUSAID, ACIAR, FAO, UNESCO, World
Bank, FAO, ADB, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI), CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food, Asian Development Bank, the RiceWheat Consortium of the Indo-Gangetic Plains and Catholic Relief Services (CRS)..
The Centre has built critical mass in teaching and research bringing together expertise from Charles
Sturt University and the CSIRO. The Centre is now shaping the research program of the CRC for
Irrigation Futures, particularly in its System Harmonisation program, is a partner in CSIRO’s Healthy
Country Flagship and is involved in numerous cross-divisional projects
The research objectives of the Centre are:

Integrate measurement, generalise process understanding and model climate variability and
change, to design improved water productivity systems using an eco-hydrology approach in a whole
of watershed context.

Utilising state of the art hyper spectral remote sensing to map spatial distributions to understand the
poor health of catchments.

Within the UNESCO HELP Twin Basin arrangement undertake research that results in more
equitable water allocation, efficient conjunctive water use, sustainable irrigation practice and
reduced export of the wastes from irrigation in rural and peri-urban irrigation areas to minimise their
effect on total ecosystem function

Research that informs management of natural resources in a whole of catchment context including
rivers and wetland environments.

Facilitate the development of inter-institutional and multinational research and educational facilities
that support and contribute to the strengthening of existing scientific and academic institutions of
the region.
6
The Centre has supervised 19 post graduate students since 2004. The Centre has been successful in
having the Murrumbidgee Catchment listed as the UNESCO HELP initiatives first global reference
catchment. Several students and visiting scientists have benefited from this initiative. The Centre has
achieved world recognition dealing with a range of issues in land use management and surface and
groundwater hydrology. The group has developed mathematical models of groundwater flow and
contaminant transport, surface-groundwater interactions, tile drainage, flood forecasting and storm
drainage.
The Key Skills Available within the Group are:











Climate variability and climate change research linked with agricultural water management
Remote sensing and GIS modelling in a river basin framework
Fresh water and estuarine pollution
Environmental law and economic integration for sustainable development
Public participation and water sharing
Farm and regional scale integrated hydrologic economic and salinity modelling
On and off farm water saving solutions
Surface-groundwater interaction and quality management and modelling.
Hydrodynamic river flow modelling for real time flood forecasting and management.
Urban watershed analysis for policy and design
Supervision of post-graduate research projects in surface and groundwater modelling
The Centre has active collaboration with the following Institutions:
















Charles Sturt University: Agricultural
Science, Food and Wine Science,
Commerce, IT and Maths, The Spatial
Analysis Unit and The E. H. Graham
Centre
UNESCO and UNESCO HELP program
CSIRO Land and Water
The International Water Management
Institute (IWMI)
The International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI)
The Chinese Academy of Science
Chinese Institute for Water and
Hydropower
Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Science
Sichuan Research and Design Institute of
Agricultural Machinery
Pakistan Agricultural Research Council
University of Faisalabad Pakistan
Farm Machinery Institute Islamabad
Pakistan










Punjab Agricultural University India
University of the Philippines
Catholic Relief Services Philippines
International Water Law Institute Dundee UK
Australian Centre of International Agricultural
Research (ACIAR)
Co-operative Research Centre for Irrigation
Futures
Wagga Wagga City Council
Murray Irrigation
Coleambally Irrigation
Murrumbidgee Irrigation
Primary Industries Research South Australia
(PIRSA)
NSW Department of Primary Industries
Chang Chung Agro Ecology Lab; China
Australian National University
Visy Paper Mills Australia
The Centre closely collaborates with global researchers, as evidenced by the multiple exchange
visits by international scientists. The teamwork is epitomised by the scope of the multi disciplinary
and cross organisational publication record of the Centre’s staff.
7.
DEST Reported Research Income for the Group
Type
2001
2002
2003
2004
630476
Category 1
Category 2
Category 3
95619
Category 4
90000
90000
TOTAL
185691
90000
8.
840442
2005
2006
630476
1,862,000
1862000
236,000
80000
1,739,000
1470918
TOTAL
Nil
3,837,000
1252060
1919000
80000
$5,663,537
Individually Earned DEST Publication Points
7
2001
Journal Articles
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
TOTAL
0.58
2.07
4.93
2.79
5.7
3.18
19.25
Book Chapters
1
0
0
0
0
4.2
5.2
Books
0
0
0
5
0
0
0
Refereed Conference Publications
1.58
9.76
2.15
2.15
6.14
1.83
23.61
TOTAL
3.16
11.83
7.08
4.94
11.84
9.21
48.06
9. Students supervised by group
2001
Total No of students supervised
No of students graduating
11.
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
TOTAL
4
6
6
6
22
1
1
IMPACT STATEMENT
Case Study: The Pratt Water Initiative
This work puts a detailed conceptual framework around water use in irrigated agriculture and the
delivery of that water from dams, through delivery systems to the farm and finally to the productive
target for the water, the growing plant.
The group were early engagers and critical members in the Pratt Water Initiative. This initiative was
funded by the Federal Government ($5 million) and Richard Pratt of Visy Industries ($10.8 million) . The
groups work within this study was to establish the water, nutrient and salt balances in the Murrumbidgee
River catchment,
.
The successful conclusion of this work provided the first such assessment for any catchment in
Australia.
The work was critical in identifying possible water savings and increasing the efficiency of water
management for irrigated agriculture.
The most tangible evidence of the success of this work is its adoption across the entire Murray–Darling
Basin, the underlying principles are now being applied to a ‘whole - of - Basin’ water yield assessment.
The work has been critical in underpinning the new Australian Government rural water security plan for
the Murray–Darling Basin. The research approach was fundamental to the development of the "hotspots
analysis” and other water efficiency elements of the plan. This work will be crucial to the plans cost
effective implementation and to targeting areas for reconfiguration.
.
At the international level this hydrology research work, which has been stakeholder driven at all levels,
has resulted in the Murrumbidgee Basin being the first, and initially the only, demonstration basin under
UNESCO’s new program on Hydrology for the Environment, Life and Policy (HELP). This program
encourages catchment basins around the world to adopt world’s best practice as epitomised by
Murrumbidgee. Professor Khan, the leader of the group, is regional coordinator for HELP Australasia
and Chair of the international panel on accreditation and ranking of 100 HELP basins from around the
world.
The results of the work have been taken up by the Pakistan government in a Pakistan wide project
“Optimising Canal and Groundwater Management to Assist Water User Associations in Maximizing Crop
Production and Managing Salinisation”. The CSU group will be a critical component in this work which is
funded by an ACIAR bi-lateral grant..
The groups work has been extended to China where the evaluation of system level options for water
savings in the Yellow River Basin, has lead to major policy dialogue at national, state and local
government levels.
8
This research has been disseminated in print and via web media through reports, scientific papers and
summary documents. It has also been broadcast through radio, television and newspapers and is being
presented at workshops and conferences both in Australia and overseas in China, Pakistan, Germany,
USA, New Zealand and South Africa. In Australia it is being presented at local and regional levels to
farmers and relevant industry groups and other organisations and at the national level to key
government departments and ministerial advisors
.










The centre has built critical mass in teaching and research in water and food hydrology and has
fostered strong cross-disciplinary water research by bringing together expertise from Charles Sturt
University and six CSIRO divisions.
Ben Wilson’s work on the classification of sulfidic soils is currently being reviewed for inclusion into
the next review of the Australian Soil Classification System.
The team has earned the trust of the irrigation industry and has been named by the Minister for
Science Mr McGauran as an “irrigator’s friend”.
John Louis’s development of a methodology for radiometrically calibrating images using instrument
pre-flight calibration has simplified groundtruthing and won the 2005 John L Davidson Award for
Practical Papers from the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
Irrigation companies in Australia are using the concept of groundwater management zones that the
group developed. This coupled with G.I.S., remote sensing and geo-physics, enables farmers and
irrigation companies to manage farm and regional watertables and salinity. Coleambally Irrigation
Cooperative Limited (CICL) has now commenced a net recharge credits/trading agreement
program, based on this research, and as a result has been granted ISO14000 accreditation; the first
irrigation area in the world to be so accredited.
The group has also provided hands-on training to more than 150 farmers in the use of the group’s
SWAGMAN models to improve the management of their crops and groundwater salinity. Farmers in
CICL are now achieving maximum irrigation efficiency, under actual soil, climate, and groundwater
conditions.
Remy Dehaan’s work to demonstrate that imaging spectrometry can measure both soil and
vegetation indicators of salinity, has been adopted by the Victorian Department of Primary
Industries as the basis of their research program mapping catchment soil salinity.
The group’s ACIAR requested and funded work on the management of rice stubble by a team led
by John Blackwell has resulted in the invention, development and commercialisation of the “The
Happy Seeder”, the first machine in the world capable of sowing seeds into heavy machine
harvested rice residue.
Burning is the normal, albeit illegal, method of rice stubble management in these areas. Until the
advent of the Happy Seeder, the alternative, residue incorporation, could involve up to 7 tractor
operations and one irrigation, this represents a huge cost in fuel and water.
The Seeder thus represents a huge benefit in terms of economics, the environment, human and soil
health, and social change in the sub-continent and potentially in all areas of the world where crop
residues are burnt. 56 machines have been built by two Indian partner firms and sold to 4 countries
The group has developed a strategic partnership with Wagga Wagga City Council and Riverina
Water to establish and promote Wagga as a global Water Smart City using scientific,
environmental, social and economic aspects of water management
The work of the group and its partner the CSIRO Healthy Country Flagship, has culminated in the
award of the 2007 Land and Water Australia Eureka Prize for Water Research and Innovation,
specifically for research which underpins water efficient irrigation in Australia and overseas.
Testimonials to the impact and quality of the groups work can be requested from:
1.
2.
3.
Mr Otto Szolosi, Visy Industries Pty Ltd, Melbourne
Dr Siegfried Demuth, Chief, Hydrological Process and Climate Section, UNESCO
Simon Smalley, Assistant secretary, Water Services Branch, Department of Environment and
Water Resources.
RQF Coordinator rating
Quality = 5
Impact = A
9