Water Research Seminar
Uniwater’s research activities
Uniwater is an incubator of outcome-focused multi-disciplinary water research, and a joint initiative of the Monash University and the University of Melbourne. Professor John Langford, the Director of Uniwater, is the leader of the Water Theme within the Monash Sustainability Institute (MSI). The emerging portfolio of water research focuses on greater Melbourne and the Goulburn-Broken Catchment.
This seminar will outline Uniwater’s overall research portfolio and the strategic opportunities in water research available for Monash University. The principal focus of the research is on rural catchments, as food production consumes about 10 times the volume of water required to supply an urban community with its direct needs for water and sanitation. The research in the Goulburn-Broken follows three themes: 1) Adaptation of irrigated and dryland farming to a drier climate; 2) Achieving a more ecologically sustainable future; and 3) Application of systems-based social learning research to enhance systemic and adaptive water governing.
Date: Thursday 13th August, 2009
Time: 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Venue: M3: Medicine Lecture Theatre, Building 13A
Speakers
1:00 pm Prof. Dave Griggs (Director, Monash Sustainability Institute)
An introduction to the Monash Sustainability Institute and an overview of Melbourne’s water situation
1:15 pm Prof. John Langford (Director, Uniwater & MSI Water Theme Leader)
Presenting an overview of Uniwater’s research portfolio, including the application of system dynamic modelling to evaluate the sustainability of complex urban water systems; and the ‘Farms, Rivers and Markets Project’, which is exploring the adaptation of farming enterprises and river management to a drier climate.
1:30 pm Prof. Ralph Mac Nally (Director, Australian Centre for Biodiversity & Biodiversity Theme Leader)
‘Achieving Ecological Sustainability’ – a project involving the linking of models describing: climate; vegetation; biogeochemistry, hydrology, terrestrial and aquatic ecology to allow the study of large catchments over long time scales.
1:45 pm Prof. Ray Ison (Professor, Systems for Sustainability)
An introduction to a ‘systemic and adaptive water governance’ research theme, involving the application and development of systems-based social learning research. The research aims to enhance systemic and adaptive water managing, in a context of climate change adaptation and institutional and social change.
2:00 pm Dr. Philip Wallis (Research Fellow, Uniwater)
Presenting a summary of a research project that combines the water, energy and transport themes of MSI, entitled ‘Making the most of Australian infrastructure through efficiency and demand management’.
RSVP Tuesday 11th August, 2009
Phil.Wallis@msi.monash.edu.au
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