<< BACK TO CONTENTS Figure 1: Examples of environmental watering objectives under different planning scenarios Drought Dry Main objective: PROTECT ` Avoid critical loss ` Maintain key refuges ` Avoid catastrophic events Main objective: MAINTAIN ` Maintain river functioning with reduced reproductive capacity ` Maintain key functions of high priority wetlands ` Manage within dry-spell tolerances Average Main objective: RECOVER ` Improve ecological health and resilience ` Improve recruitment opportunities for key animal and plant species Wet to very wet Main objective: ENHANCE ` Restore key floodplain and wetland linkages ` Enhance recruitment opportunities for key animal and plant species Living with extremes Victoria’s climate has been following a drying and warming trend for several decades, and 15 of the 16 hottest years in Australia have occurred this century. It is now clear that this trend is a result of human-induced climate change, and most climate models forecast that Victoria will become hotter and drier. Modelling now forecasts that streamflows could reduce by around 50 percent in some Victorian catchments by 2065. This has serious consequences for everyone and everything — agriculture, households, industry, recreation, Aboriginal cultural values, liveability, waterway health and native plants and animals. We may still have years when rainfall during the cooler months is higher than average, but these will occur less often. Reflections – Environmental watering in Victoria 2016-17 | 14
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