Motueka catchment management project airs to wider public

June 8th, 2011
[by David Armstrong]

A ground-breaking 10-year project by scientists aimed at understanding and better managing the Motueka River catchment - and catchments generally - is now being publicised to the world through conferences and some excellent videos available on YouTube.

The Motueka River Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) programme has involved scientists from many disciplines led by Landcare Research, Cawthron Institute and Tasman District Council, as well as catchment residents and local iwi.

Its stated aim has been to "gain better information to more effectively manage the land, water and coastal environments in the catchment, where there are many sometimes potentially conflicting land uses, and to understand the complex way in which a catchment works and the way people work within it."

It is also looking at the natural and human patterns of use of the catchment and to find ways for all interested parties to collaborate in better managing land and water. As such, the ICM study should be of vital interest to all Motueka people, including recreational users, farmers, foresters and environmentalists.

With the study now into its tenth year, Landcare Research staff have decided it is time to "communicate the science to the people", says Landcare Research spokesman Tom Fraser. "After all, it's for them."

Just last week it was shown to a conference in Europe, after some parts of the project were presented internationally over the past year or so.

Motueka people can gain a thorough insight into ICM, its goals and results, through six excellent and easily understood video clips now available on YouTube. The clips vary in length up to nearly 15 minutes and are in good quality definition, so people will need a broadband connection to gain a good view. To find the videos, go to YouTube and type "motueka icm" into the search box; or click on each of the six links below.

Each of the videos is self-contained in essence but focuses on different aspects of the project. For example, "" gives an overview, so you should start here. This features commentary by programme leader Andrew Fenemor.

He quotes four simple phrases to summarise their approach: "Everything is connected to everything else", "Everything must go somewhere", "Nature knows best", and "There's no such thing as a free lunch". Andrew says we are now in a new era of sustainable development and management. Earlier eras were of the settlers (clearing land and surviving), then production (maximising agricultural output), and now it's about sustainability.

"We need new tools for this era. We already know lots about what's happening on the land, in the water and in the (Tasman) Bay. Now we need research in the interconnections."

The next video is "", which shows how advanced computer modelling is being used as a predictive tool for "what if" scenarios which would result from various catchment management and land use practices. Called the Integrated Dynamic Environmental Assessment System (IDEAS), it enables economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts all to be considered at once.

The video "" describes how the scientists gained input from the non-scientific public through their own photos and stories, sharing their understanding and actions around stewardship of the catchment, and thereby pulling together very diverse perspectives of what the river means to different people.

The result was the publication and exhibition of over 250 images and stories from over 60 researchers and residents about aspects of the catchment that were important to them. This also involved collaboratively creating platforms for effective discussions around potentially contentious issues.

"" gives an historical background on water use in New Zealand, moving from initial river extraction to groundwater use and then water storage. Andrew Fenemor speaks of the need for an integrated approach to factor in what you can see as well as what you cannot see (eg groundwater). This approach led to the "finite element river-aquifer model" (IDEAS) which is believed to be the only one in the world of this scale applied to a complete catchment.

The beginnings of the ICM project are shown in the video "". The Sherry is a sub-catchment near the Tapawera area where original concerns were expressed about local water quality. When brought to light, this led to collaborative work by locals that fixed the problems in a way which benefitted all.

In the video "", Barney Thomas tells how the ICM approach "sits easily with indigenous holistic environmental world views", and how building Maori involvement in the project from the start has been integral to its success.

He says the partnership of western science with iwi history and philosophy recognises Maori appreciation of the connections between the river, the land and the coastal areas.

There is one further video to publish, which will sum up the whole project.

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