Integrated Catchment Management Planning for the Next Generation

Integrated Catchment Management Planning (ICMP) is a process for developing a framework to guide development and land use activities with respect to water resources within a catchment. In general, it is a tool for establishing the demands and effects of existing and proposed land uses at a catchment scale, and developing high-level management strategies to manage these demands and effects.

As the name suggests, ICMPs are intended to integrate the various strategies that can be used to achieve positive environmental, social and economic outcomes through effective management of water resources within a catchment. That is, by looking at the water cycle and associated functions within catchment as a whole (including cultural context, biodiversity, hydrogeological conditions, and the catchment’s relationship to other catchments) and weaving these together to develop overlapping strategies that will improve the catchment for existing and future generations.

However, valuable opportunities are often missed during the ICMP process when various components are developed in silos or in a linear process rather than collaboratively and holistically. Frequently the interrelationships between different elements are not fully taken into account as the plan evolves, resulting in conceptual frameworks which are not always practical to implement. Furthermore, the potential cross benefits of available management techniques are often missed.

Firstly, this paper will explore the existing ICMP framework and how or why its current implementation may be inadvertently resulting in outcomes that are counter to the overarching philosophy. The paper will then look at opportunities to improve the interconnectivity between baseline data, catchment activities, values and outcomes, and the available management tools based on best practice. Finally, the paper will conclude with high-level recommendations for how the next generation of ICMPs can build on the current framework to continually improve how we plan for and manage our water resources.