Sustainable Water Resources Systems (CVEN90019)

AIMS

This subject aims to analyse the key concepts underpinning the sustainable use of water within the context of integrated river basin management. Lectures draw on extensive experience in water and river basin management, particularly in Australia and China including guest lecturers from industry practitioners. The subject focuses on the analysis of complex water resource systems that involve multiple sources of water supply and multiple water uses including agriculture, urban, industrial, recreation and the environment. The subject builds on students’ knowledge of sustainability, economics and resource management.

While the principles of resource management are learnt in the context of water and river basins, they can be applied in a range of natural resource management scenarios. Students contemplating a career in any aspect of natural resource management will find this subject of value.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics include:

• Water resource governance and planning
• Water supply
• Wastewater and drainage
• Integrated water resources management - river catchments and basins
• Environmental water demands
• Water resource economics
• Principles of water resource modelling: optimisation and simulation
• Various systems of allocating water between multiple supplies and demands
• Water accounting in time and space
• The balance between economic and environmental uses of water
• Water information services
• River basin management
• Fishways and river restoration.