Ecological risk management - Land and Water Australia

iiiCONTENTSExecutive Summary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iAcknowledgements------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ii1. INTRODUCTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11.1 How will risk-based management assist the Australian irrigation industry? ----------------------------- 11.2 Purpose of this document -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12. RISK MANAGEMENT APPROACHES FOR THE IRRIGATION INDUSTRY ------------------------- 22.1 Risks and perceptions of risk---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22.2 Who uses risk assessment and risk management? ----------------------------------------------------------- 22.3 Why ecological risk assessments? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22.4 Triggering a risk assessment---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32.5 What is involved in undertaking an ERA?------------------------------------------------------------------------ 42.6 Adoption of risk management approaches by irrigation industry------------------------------------------- 53. FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING ECOLOGICAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITHIRRIGATION ENTERPRISES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 63.1 General ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 63.2 Getting started ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 63.2.1 Planning the risk assessment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 63.2.2 Risk assessment team ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 73.2.3 Stakeholder involvement -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 73.3 Formulating the problem--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------103.3.1 Study objectives and scope----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------113.3.2 Systems-level conceptual model ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------113.3.3 Ecological values -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------123.3.4 Hazard-effect relationships ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------123.4 Risk analysis-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------173.4.1 Initial screening using qualitative or semi-quantitative risk assessment--------------------------------193.4.2 Quantitative risk assessment--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------203.4.3 Risk investigations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------303.5 Risk characterisation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------323.5.1 General -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------323.5.2 Uncertainties & assumptions --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------323.5.3 Risk communication -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------364. ECOLOGICAL RISK MANAGEMENT IN THE IRRIGATION INDUSTRY ----------------------------374.1 General -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------374.2 Developing a risk management plan ----------------------------------------------------------------------------374.2.1 Potential actions to address the priority hazards -------------------------------------------------------------384.2.2 Decision-making process-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------394.2.3 Risk management plan ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------404.3 Implementing the risk management plan-----------------------------------------------------------------------414.3.1 Monitoring program --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------424.3.2 Review and feedback processes ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------425. GLOSSARY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------466. REFERENCES --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------487. RELEVANT WEB SITES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------54