Wednesday, June 6, 2007 - 1:45 PM
281

Setting ecological targets with the aid of Internet assisted activities

Susan Nichols1, Ruth O’Connor2, Richard H. Norris1, Peter Oliver3, and Bill Johnson4. (1) University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia, (2) Environmental Sciences Division, Queensland Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane, Australia, (3) Department of Natural Resources and Water, Nambour, Australia, (4) Department of Environment and Conservation, Dubbo, Australia

A framework was developed to assist multi-stakeholder groups to work collaboratively to Set Ecological Targets (SET). SET provides mechanisms to incorporate science into decision-making and reach agreements about trade-offs between ecological, social, and economic requirements of river systems. A program of Internet-assisted activities, blended with face-to-face workshops, was trialled in conjunction with using SET to support the formulation of environmental flow targets. Enthusiasm and participation was dependant on the stakeholders seeing the activities as relevant to their terms of reference, and being motivated by the approach to complete each step of the framework. Some participants were uncomfortable with sequenced and dependent steps of the framework.  Technical aspects of working online were not major barriers and almost all participants developed a high degree of comfort working online. The online discussion forum generated most interest because it provided the dispersed group with an opportunity to extend face-to-face discussions, document discussions and encouraged active communication. The trial highlighted a need for specific knowledge of how natural-resource-management groups work (e.g. expectations, motivations, and how members contribute), which would better facilitate the collaborative process. Failure to adequately address these issues early in the process will present barriers to engagement, in both face-to-face and online environments.

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