pressures. pressures (e.g. and increase their hydraulic Good adaptive weeds) have recognition in connectivity with management is become policy frameworks estuarine/ also supported entrenched marine areas (7) Improving where governance and natural natural adaptive areas landward adaptive adaptation management of coastal management capacity has been capacity has wetlands are including use of retained and few been lost undeveloped catchment secondary providing management pressures have opportunities for cultural practice frameworks, established. inland migration and economic legislation that of coastal pressures are an supports the Adaptive interface wetland impediment to resilience of rivers management in complexes adoption of Best and wetlands, this development Management integration of context needs to Practices on the site is served aquatic address pressures farm with sufficient ecosystem associated with human and other conservation both existing and resources to where the management potential future deliver more climate is highly responsibilities at development. intensive seasonal and a catchment scale management tending toward and adaptive This requires a options including more frequent management mix of asset bunding / extreme events. based on (1) set protection for high barraging of high management integrity wetlands value assets, Moderate where objectives, (2) and important creation of exposure and identified action functional managed sensitivity to thresholds and (3) processes, threat brackish mixing pressure is monitoring. management to zones, assisted medium and address and landward catchment land Considering these prevent secondary migration / use, condition, management pressures (weeds, creation of functional process approaches: bank stability etc.) freshwater integrity and and system wetland habitats natural adaptive Poor adaptive restoration for within the management management where existing coastal plain. capacity lies capacity will development between that
pressures. Good adaptive management is also supported where natural adaptation capacity has been retained and few secondary pressures have established. Adaptive management in this development context needs to address pressures associated with both existing and potential future development. This requires a mix of asset protection for high integrity wetlands and important functional processes, threat management to address and prevent secondary pressures (weeds, bank stability etc.) and system restoration for where existing development pressures (e.g. weeds) have become entrenched natural adaptive management capacity has been lost cultural practice and economic pressures are an impediment to adoption of Best Management Practices on farm where the climate is highly seasonal and tending toward more frequent extreme events. Moderate where exposure and sensitivity to pressure is medium and catchment land use, condition, functional process integrity and natural adaptive management capacity lies between that and increase their recognition in policy frameworks (7) Improving governance and adaptive management including use of catchment management frameworks, legislation that supports the resilience of rivers and wetlands, integration of aquatic ecosystem conservation management responsibilities at a catchment scale and adaptive management based on (1) set management objectives, (2) identified action thresholds and (3) monitoring. Considering these management approaches: Poor adaptive management capacity will hydraulic connectivity with estuarine/ marine areas areas landward of coastal wetlands are undeveloped providing opportunities for inland migration of coastal interface wetland complexes the site is served with sufficient human and other resources to deliver more intensive management options including bunding / barraging of high value assets, creation of managed brackish mixing zones, assisted landward migration / creation of freshwater wetland habitats within the coastal plain.
Vulnerability_Assessment_Freshwater_wetlands.docx