Fundamentals of Catchment Management (NRMT90029)

This subject is concerned with providing students with a common starting point across the range of physical, biological, chemical, social and institutional processes that bear on catchment behaviour (in both rural and urban settings). The subject structure uses past, current and foreseeable issues facing catchment managers to introduce the concepts of catchments as physical, biological, chemical, social and institutional systems. Subject content covers the principles of:

• geomorphology,
• hydrology,
• hydraulics,
• ecology and
• water quality in sufficient detail to understand the main processes that control the condition of:
• catchments,
• waterways,
• floodplains and
• wetlands.

Content also introduces the institutional and social context of catchment management to understand the constraints on management intervention and the multiple goals of catchment management.
The structured remote learning component introduces each of the topic areas with readings, online discussion and exercises and introduces the range of relevant catchment processes.

A four day intensive face to face session focuses on the knowledge needed to understand catchments as interacting systems and illustrates limitations on management intervention options through consideration of past, current and future catchment issues. As part of this subject, students undertake a component of the overall course project, examining a catchment management issue to identify the physical, biological, chemical, social and institutional processes that guide or constrain management intervention.