Measuring up to manage water better NatStats Conference 08
Melbourne 21 November 2008
Slide 2
Over-allocation to Irrigation Bushfire Recovery Impacts
Expanding Plantations Drying & Warming Climate Uncapped
Groundwater Extraction Expanding Farm Dams Growing Urban Demand The
Environmental Flows Imperative The big 8 water scarcity factors
Water scarcity: A deepening problem.
Slide 3
Long term deficits remain across the MDB 7 very dry years for
the basin
Slide 4
Recent inflows into the Murray system.
Slide 5
Irrigation System Allocations @ Nov08.
Slide 6
Information to support water reform. Prudent environmental flow
management Good water information is the key Judicious
infrastructure investments Fair pricing and equitable sharing of a
scarce resource Properly functioning water markets Adequate flood
risk protection Greater efficiency in water use
Slide 7
National Water Resource Assessment. National Water Accounting.
Real-Time Status of Water Resources. The four cornerstones of water
information to support sustainable water resources management.
Hydrologic Forecasting.
Slide 8
The Bureaus new water information role. 10-year Commonwealth
program, started July 07 $450m funding 110 new staff (added to 40
existing) Based in all States, concentrated in VIC and ACT New IT
infrastructure Legislative backing Water Act 2007 Water Regulations
2008
Slide 9
Our activities. 1.Set standards for water data. 2.Collect
primary information from water data holders and build a national
repository. 3.Provide a range of value-added water information
products and services for the nation. 4.Assist water data holding
agencies to modernise their observing systems. 5.Invest in water
information R&D.
Slide 10
Our water information product suite.
Slide 11
Provider data Streamflow Groundwater Water quality Water use
Entitlements and Trades Storage Diversions Various spatial data
layers AWRIS Water Data Geofabric Hydro DB Climate DB Information
products Information products REPORTING SERVICES FORECASTING
SERVICES Browser, RSS, XML Dynamic NATIONAL WATER RESOURCE
ASSESSMENT NATIONAL WATER ACCOUNT Rolling annual reports
Static
Slide 12
The water data ingest process. Oct 08Feb 09Apr 09Jul 09 10
primary categories of data (~60 variables) 8 categories of person
(~260 persons in total) Entire historical archive provided at first
Updated thereafter daily, weekly, monthly or yearly Considerable
augmentation by BoM required
Slide 13
The Australian Hydrological Geospatial Fabric (aka the
geofabric) A spatial representation of most of Australias
hydrofeatures and their connectivity Rivers, Lakes, Wetlands,
Reservoirs Catchment, aquifer and management area boundaries Water
monitoring points Diversions, off-takes, return points Arranged in
a network topology
Slide 14
The National Water Account. Questions: System status (Stocks
and flows) For any reporting unit (system). How did the stocks of
water change? How much was allocated and delivered? How much water
was traded? What was the consumptive/environment split? How much
was lost? How did entitlement security change?
Slide 15
The National Water Account. Questions: Information
trustworthiness For a report prepared by any entity How can we be
sure the information is correct and comparable to other reports?
What uncertainties are inherent in the report? What contextual
issues are relevant? climate demand management (restrictions,
allocations)
Slide 16
Water Accounting Definition of Terms. Water Assets Water or
rights or other claims to water, which the reporting entity holds
or has management responsibilities for and from which stakeholders
derive future benefits, e.g. stores in dams or rivers if the
reporting entity is a catchment; allocation if the reporting entity
is a water user Water Liabilities A present obligation of the water
reporting entity, the discharge of which is expected to result in a
decrease in their water assets, e.g. announced allocation if the
reporting entity is a catchment
Slide 17
Contents of the National Water Account. Contextual Statement
Statement of Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities
Statement of Water Assets and Liabilities Statement of Physical
Flows Disclosure Notes Accountability Statement Assurance
Statement
Slide 18
Possible Reporting Entities. Nation State Catchment Supply
Scheme Priority Areas Planning Areas
Slide 19
Scaling the National Water Account. National Water Account
Sub-national Water Accounts Sub-sub-national Water Accounts
Cascading down Consolidated up
Slide 20
Governance and Coordination. Publication of National Water
Accounting Standards National Water Account Committee Bureau of
Meteorology Water Accounting Standards Board Water Use Estimation
Advisory Group Publication of National Water Account Preparation of
sub- national accounts Advice Governance Actions
Slide 21
Challenges and opportunities. Getting the job done! Links to
other accounts water in the economy environmental accounts Data
standards for interoperability Data mining techniques Data survey
methods
Slide 22
Rob Vertessy (Division Head)
[email protected]@bom.gov.au 02 6232 3501 Peter
Gigliotti (IT Development)
[email protected]@bom.gov.au03 9669 4255 Tony
Boston (Data Management) [email protected]@bom.gov.au 02
6232 3503 Louise Minty (Water Accounting and Assessment)
[email protected]@bom.gov.au03 9669 4542 Bruce Stewart
(Hydrologic Forecasting) [email protected]@bom.gov.au03
8638 8203 Contacts for the Bureaus Water Division.