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Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

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Water Science in Australia: ideas for reform Address to British Columbia Water Science Symposium Tuesday 31 August, 2010 Ken Matthews, Chair & CEO National Water Commission, Australia
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Page 1: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Water Science in Australia: ideas for reform

Address to British Columbia Water Science Symposium

Tuesday 31 August, 2010

Ken Matthews, Chair & CEO

National Water Commission, Australia

Page 2: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Australia’s water landscape

• Scarcity, variability,

drought and climate

change

• Highly urbanised and

increasing population in

major coastal centres

• Irrigation development

particularly in the Murray

Darling Basin

• Internationally important

water dependent

ecosystems

Flow variability - Australian and international rivers

On a comparative

basis, Australian

rivers are highly

variable

Rainfall distribution from 2000 to 2010

Page 3: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Source: WA Water Corporation.

Australia: Early signs of climate

change?

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To

tal A

nn

ual*

In

flo

w t

o P

ert

h D

am

s**

(G

L)

Annual Total

1911-1974 av (338 GL)

1975 - 1996 av (177 GL)

2001-08 av (81.8 GL)

Notes: - A year is taken as May to April

- 2009/10 inflow to 21st October 2009

2009

(124.1 GL)

Annual inflows to Perth Dams

Page 4: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Water Management in Australia

• State government responsibility

• Increasing federal policy leadership & funding

• An agreed water reform agenda

- the National Water Initiative

Goals: Economic yield, environmental sustainability,

social & indigenous goals

Page 5: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

The Oz approach to water – unusual features

1. An agreed national water reform blueprint

2. Perpetual water entitlements (rights)

3. Entitlements expressed as shares of available water, not volumes

4. Widespread water markets and water trading

5. Science-based determinations of the consumptive pool

6. Equal statutory status for the environment

7. Participatory water planning (sharing) processes

8. Statutory water (sharing) plans

9. An independent assessor of reform progress

Page 6: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

The Independent Assessor: the NWC

Assessment

Products

Transparency

Products

Thought

Leadership

Products

Practical

Products

e.g. Biennial

Assessments

of reform

e.g. Water Markets

Report;

Performance

reports on utilities

e.g. Position Statement

on future water

restrictions

e.g. National

Standards for

water meters

Page 7: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

The Central Issue in Water

Management

How much water is available?

How much

for the

environment?

How much for

consumptive

use?

How much for each

alternative consumptive

use?

How much for each

alternative consumptive

use?How much for each

alternative consumptive

use?

How much for each

Environmental asset?How much for each

Environmental asset?How much for each

Environmental asset?

Page 8: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Science in Australia

• As a natural resource-based economy Australia relies more on the natural sciences in policy formulation

• The public policy agenda in Australia is rich in natural science issues (e.g., Natural Resource Management)

• It is the disciplines of science and economics that have most to say about Natural Resource Management

• Various agencies have emerged to help bridge the science-policy gap - but the gap remains

Page 9: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Water Science in Australia

• Water is often a location-specific issue

• unlike other areas of science such as say, IT, nuclear physics, or nanotechnology

• Examples:

• the specific hydrology of Australian floodplain rivers

• Australia’s unique and ancient aquatic ecology

• These unique-to-Australia water science challenges require a strategic, targeted Australian science effort

Page 10: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

The Water Reform Cycle

Assessment/Audit

NWC

Policy ImplementationState & Federal

Departments

Issue Identification

(“Diagnosis”)NWC

Policy Development

(“Prescription”) Ministers, State & Federal Departmental

Advisors

Incubation Acceptance HandoverDiagnosis

Page 11: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

An NWC diagnosis: there are problems in Australia’s water science arrangements...

Good water management should be science and evidence based. The NWC has pushed hard for better science and better access for science, e.g.,

• NWC recommends “a national water science strategy to guide science efforts in the water sector” – NWC February 2008

• NWC recommends governments “collaborate in the development of a national water science strategy...” – NWC October 2009

11

Page 12: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Can’t we “take the politics out of water”?

Hence, decisions should be science-rich & science adequate, but

not science-determined.

Choices, judgements and trade-offs will always be required.

Science, data and knowledge are essential

But ultimately these are society’s (i.e., political) choices

Which environmental assets should be nurtured?

How big a river red gum forest?

How green a wetland?

How often a hatching or nesting event?

How resilient do we want the ecosystem?

What risk to our assets will be acceptable?

Page 13: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Some Water Science Needs

Better science is needed for key water reform challenges:

• Climate, seasonal, weather & hydrological forecasting

• Climate change adaptation needs and opportunities

• Identifying environmental assets & their water regimes

• Identifying & managing environmental externalities

• Improving environmental water management (effectiveness/ efficiency)

• Managing groundwater-surface water connectivity

• Managing water interception (e.g., forestry)

• Enabling integrated water cycle management

• Informing health and environmental regulation of water

• Enabling new water technologies e.g., recycling

13

Page 14: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

A National Water Science Strategy

• These are all national issues, but Australia lacks a national water science strategy

... and certainly lacks a policy-led science strategy

• national water policy priorities should lead national water science priorities

• and water science should be more influential in shaping national water policy

Page 15: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Challenges in Australian water science

• Integrating indigenous and mainstream water knowledge

• Linking science providers and science users (both ways)

• “Strategic science planning versus “cottage science” (local) projects

• Overcoming science & social science silos

• Building water science capacity beyond the public sector

• Maintaining & accessing water data and knowledge

• Identifying, funding and tackling research priorities

Page 16: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Specifically, what’s needed?

• Clearer strategy: A national water science strategy

• Improved governance: Better arrangements for: 1. policy input to science; 2. science input to policy; 3. science input to water management; 4. science profile with Ministers

• Better resource allocation: Policy & management-led budgets; clearer budget setting processes; budget predictability, including for basic research

• More coherent institutional arrangements: Less-fragmented water science institutions; optimisation of research infrastructure; better user/provider connectivity

• Role Clarity: Federal/State alignment; clearer roles of policy makers, other science users, science brokers, science providers, public sector vs. private sector roles, basic vs. applied science roles

16

Page 17: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Possible Elements of a National Water Science Strategy

1. National water research objectives

2. Key Result Areas and timeframes

3. Identification of gaps in water science capacity

4. Roles & responsibilities of science players

5. Funding and resource allocation guidance

6. Processes for governments to provide leadership

7. Pathways for policy input by the science community

8. Collaborative machinery between institutions

9. Water science research infrastructure needs

10. Adoption and innovation pathways

11. Arrangements for a long term water knowledge repository

12. Monitoring and review arrangements

Page 18: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Water Science Institutions

Institutional arrangements matter!

• Flawed institutional arrangements can thwart the cleverest scientists with the best of intentions.

• Governments have made significant investments in water research in recent years

• But, despite some progress:

- capacity is still fragmented;

- effort is dissipated;

- critical mass is lacking;

- priority setting is unconvincing

- and applied research is more readily funded & secure than basic research.

18

Page 19: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Institutional arrangements matter!

• Science providers feel disempowered and lack influence

• Difficult for science users to connect with science providers

• Difficult to access science outputs in user-friendly form, & on time

• Policy makers do not always invest enough time in understanding

the science

• Difficulties in the (increasingly important) integration, cross-

disciplinary work. Science, economics and social science silos.

• University funding formulas may discourage interdisciplinary work

• National basic science work is displaced by tactical work

“Could do better...” 19

Page 20: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Possible Features of a better National Water Science System

1. A national water science strategy – 3 yearly cycle?

2. An annual “Needs and Capabilities Forum” involving water science users and providers

3. Based on (2.), an “Annual Statement of Water Policy Directions and Science Needs” (sponsored by the Federal Minister?)

4. A national water science provider coalition “Water Science Australia”, inside, not outside, the water policy system (see over ...)

5. A transparent annual budgeting process

20

Page 21: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

What might “Water Science Australia” look like?

• It would be a national coalition of the leading water science provider institutions

• “science” includes economics, social sciences

• It would be accountable to a Board: 40% science providers, 40% science users, 20% stakeholders. Independent chair.

• Allowing for user pull, science push & stakeholder moderation

• Improved two-way interactions between users and providers

• Board would provide science advice to the Federal water minister

• It would nurture both basic and applied water science, and science capacity

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Page 22: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

What might “Water Science Australia” look like? (cont’d)

• Strong identity: a strong corporate identity (a “national champion” for water science) but member organisations would also retain their prior identity

• Close understanding of needs: inside the water policy and planning process, not outside looking in.

• Real commitment of researchers: Not less than 25% of researchers’ time (would require a transition period)

• High Quality Science Agenda: e.g., national intellectual leadership; continuing national and international peer review of all members

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Page 23: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Possible roles of Water Science Australia

1. an informed broker of science services

2. a clearing house for national science collaboration (or

competitive tension)

3. science input to water policy

4. science interpretation services

5. science services to the public sector

6. sale of services to the private sector

7. recommend budget allocations internally (see later slide)

8. national champion for water science

9. a national gateway to international water science

23

Page 24: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Possible Features of a better National Water Science System

1. A national water science strategy – 3 yearly cycle?

2. An annual “Needs and Capabilities Forum” involving water science users and providers

3. Based on (2.), an “Annual Statement of Water Policy Directions and Science Needs” (sponsored by the Federal Minister?)

4. A national water science provider coalition “Water Science Australia”, inside, not outside, the water policy system

5. A transparent annual budgeting process (see over...)

24

Page 25: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

More strategic and predictablebudget arrangements

• Part A: Triennial baseline funding to Water Science Australia coalition

members for basic and pre-competitive research

• Part B: Triennial and annual targeted allocations to grow capacity in

areas of need identified in the “Annual Statement of Water Science

Needs”

• Part C: For budget planning purposes, government users of applied

science would provide, during the process of developing the “annual

statement”, indications of their priorities and budgets for specific science

purchases in the year ahead

25

Page 26: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

What’s different?

Unlike now:

• Water science would be guided by a coherent national water science strategy developed with real input by science providers, & issued by the Minister

• There would be a structured, national process for delivering the necessary science underpinnings for water policy & water management

• There would be a transparent and publicly defensible budget setting process

• WSA would participate as an equal in the annual needs & capabilities forum

• WSA would take science “inside” the national water management system

26

Page 27: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

What’s different? (cont’d)

• Purchaser directors on the WSA Board would be serving executives of science-using organisations, not just eminent retirees – so engaging the attention of key users

• WSA would account to the Minister for its performance –so engaging attention for water science at the political level

• ... and it would have a world class priority setting process, see next slide...

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Page 28: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

A World Class Priority Setting Process

National needs and capabilities forum

Annual statement of water

policy directions and science needs

Three year strategic research plan

Annual rolling program of research

28

Users & Providers

Federal

Minister

WSA Board

WSA

Evaluation of

effectiveness

and impact

Page 29: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

The Research Spectrum

Strategicpre-competitive

StrategicApplied /

tacticalBasic

Blue sky;

curiosity-driven

Known area;

unknown

opportunities

Known area;

targeted

opportunities

Targeted

opportunities;

specific

problems

Page 30: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Determining Research Priorities

3 4

1 2

• Importance of topic

• Potential yield• Consequence

of success

• Research tractability

• Progress & success to date

• Synergies with other work

• Collaborative contribution of research team

Page 31: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

Conclusion: Radical but necessary change

• Reform of water science arrangements would be an

important and overdue national capacity building

initiative for the water sector

• Given the importance of water it would be a strategic

microeconomic reform, consistent with the current

national strategic priority placed on water

• It would improve the water management bang for the

water science buck, while empowering water science

providers

• It may comprise a model for other Australian sectors’

science arrangements

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Page 32: Ken Matthews: Water Science in Australia - Ideas for Reform

[email protected]

www.nwc.gov.au


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