Northern Australia Aquatic Ecological Assets

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Northern Australia Aquatic Ecological Assets Northern Australia Aquatic Ecological Assets Summary Report – Assessing the Likely Impacts of Climate Change and Development TRaCK – Research to support river and estuary management in Northern Australia TRaCK brings together leading tropical river researchers and managers from Charles Darwin University, Griffith University, the University of Western Australia, CSIRO, James Cook University, Australian National University, Geoscience Australia, the Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist, Australian Institute of Marine Science, North Australia Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance, and the Governments of Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Disclaimer TRaCK has published the information contained in this publication to assist public knowledge and discussion and to help improve the sustainable management of Australia’s tropical rivers and coasts. Where technical information has been prepared by or contributed by authors external to TRaCK, readers should contact the author(s), and conduct their own enquiries, before making use of that information. No person should act on the contents of this publication whether as to matters of fact or opinion or other content, without first obtaining specific independent professional advice which confirms the information contained within this publication. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the information in this publication is correct, matters covered by the publication are subject to change. Charles Darwin University does not assume and hereby disclaims any express or implied liability whatsoever to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether these errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause. This report was jointly funded by the National Water Commission and the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are factually correct, the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this publication. Copyright This publication is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced, by any process, without written permission from the publisher, Enquiries should be made to the publisher, Charles Darwin University, c/- TRaCK, Casuarina Campus, Building Red 1 Level 3, Darwin NT 0909. Citation Close, P.G., Dobbs, R. and Davies, P (2012). Summary Report – Assessment of the likely impacts of development and climate change on aquatic ecological assets in Northern Australia. A report for the National Water Commission, Australia. Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge (TRaCK) Commonwealth Environmental Research Facility, Charles Darwin University, Darwin. Technical Report Citation Close, P.G., Wallace, J., Bayliss, P., Bartolo, R., Burrows, D., Pusey, B.J., Robinson, C.J., McJannet, D., Karim, F., Byrne, G., Marvanek, S., Turnadge, C., Harrington, G., Petheram, C., Dutra, L.X.C, Dobbs, R., Pettit, N., Jankowski, A., Wallington, T., Kroon, F., Schmidt, D., Buttler, B., Stock, M., Veld, A., Speldewinde, P., Cook, B.A., Cook, B., Douglas, M., Setterfield, S., Kennard, M., Davies, P., Hughes, J., Cossart, R., Conolly, N. and Townsend, S. (2012). Assessment of the likely impacts of development and climate change on aquatic ecological assets in Northern Australia. A report for the National Water Commission, Australia. Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge (TRaCK) Commonwealth Environmental Research Facility, Charles Darwin University, Darwin. ISBN: 978-1-921576-66-9. 561pp Images and layout Front cover image – Water lilies in a northern Australian wetland. Image: Ian Dixon Back cover images – Top: Plumed Whistling-ducks. Image: TRaCK; Bottom: Yellow Water Lagoon in Kakadu National Park, NT. Image: John Baker and DSEWPaC. Design and layout – First Class in Graphic Design, Darwin. Summary Report | Assessing the Likely Impacts of Climate Change and Development North Australia Aquatic Ecological Assets | Foodwebs and Biodiversity Aquatic ecosystems in Northern Australia Northern Australia hosts a range of high value aquatic provide the information required to assist in the ecosystems, including, estuaries, rivers, lakes and protection and sustainable development of northern wetlands. These ecosystems have important intrinsic Australia’s water resources, which is consistent with and cultural values, and among other things, provide the National Water Initiative. This project, one of a clean water, food and recreational activities for people. number under the NAWFA, aimed to assess the likely Climate related changes in rainfall, run off and sea impacts of possible development and climate change level, together with future development and expansion on northern Australian aquatic ecosystems. of agricultural, urban and industrial land use represent significant risks to these high value aquatic ecosystems. The systems support high biodiversity and many species of aquatic plants and animals that are found nowhere else. It is important that these valuable assets be sustainably managed and protected so that they provide ongoing value to both human activities and ecological requirements. What is being done to inform the protection and sustainable development of water resources? The Northern Australia Water Futures Assessment A variety of biota rely on natural patterns of river flows. Image: TRaCK. (NAWFA) is an Australian Government initiative to Irrigated agriculture on the Daly River floodplain, NT. Image: Michael Douglas. Development and climate change impacts on aquatic ecosystems in northern Australia This project has provided water planners and 6. Recommend management strategies managers with additional information on the possible and monitoring frameworks to report on impacts of future development and climate change environmental change scenarios on aquatic ecosystems in northern Australia. This new knowledge will be incorporated into the 7. Identify specific knowledge needs and future decision making process for future water management investment priorities plans, to ensure that potential impacts resulting from development and climate change can be managed Where was the research undertaken? more effectively. The geographical area considered by the project This project addressed seven key tasks: stretches more than 3,000 km, from Broome in the west to Cairns in the east. This area includes three 1. Describe the ecology and hydrology of northern drainage divisions (Timor Sea, Gulf of Carpentaria and Australian aquatic assets the part of the North-east Coast Drainage Division, north of Cairns) and 64 river basins. The Project 2. Identify the major human related factors focussed on 15 catchments identified by jurisdictions impacting upon the assets and their relationship as likely to experience hydrological change due to to future development and climate change risks water resource development or climate change. 3. Assess the impacts of these threats on landscape Climate, landscape and groundwater connections vary connectivity over the 1.25 million km2 NAWFA region. A diversity of river systems exist, including those that flow year- 4. Identify key ecological thresholds in terms round, and others that cease to flow for varying lengths of ecological water requirements, ecosystem of time during the dry season. function and habitat use by key biota 5. Describe the relationships between assets and Below: NAWFA study region and focus catchments (blue) their social and cultural values used in this project. page 2 Summary Report | Assessing the Likely Impacts of Climate Change and Development North Australia Aquatic Ecological Assets | Foodwebs and Biodiversity A number of groundwater basins occur across exceptions, few rivers in the region are regulated and northern Australia, which have important interactions levels of catchment disturbance remain relatively low. with some surface water systems, most notably the contribution of groundwater to perennial flows. The Kimberley region of Western Australia is remote and waterways in the region have typically low levels of Northern Australia is generally characterised by disturbance. The region is rich in natural resources and low relief landscapes. River flows in the central to mining activities represent a significant potential for western regions are typically constrained in rocky increased water resource use, increased infrastructure channels, flanked by a succession of relatively small, and concentration of populations. discontinuous floodplains. In comparison, rivers draining to the Gulf of Carpentaria flow through The Northern Territory includes a diverse range of extensive alluvial floodplains for much of their length. waterways in both remote and developed catchments. To the east of the Great Dividing Range (i.e. the Groundwater discharge is an important feature of northern North-East Coast Drainage Division) steep some catchments, maintaining river flow throughout coastal escarpments abut a narrow
Recommended publications
  • Journal of a Voyage Around Arnhem Land in 1875
    JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE AROUND ARNHEM LAND IN 1875 C.C. Macknight The journal published here describes a voyage from Palmerston (Darwin) to Blue Mud Bay on the western shore of the Gulf of Carpentaria, and back again, undertaken between September and December 1875. In itself, the expedition is of only passing interest, but the journal is worth publishing for its many references to Aborigines, and especially for the picture that emerges of the results of contact with Macassan trepangers along this extensive stretch of coast. Better than any other early source, it illustrates the highly variable conditions of communication and conflict between the several groups of people in the area. Some Aborigines were accustomed to travelling and working with Macassans and, as the author notes towards the end of his account, Aboriginal culture and society were extensively influenced by this contact. He also comments on situations of conflict.1 Relations with Europeans and other Aborigines were similarly complicated and uncertain, as appears in several instances. Nineteenth century accounts of the eastern parts of Arnhem Land, in particular, are few enough anyway to give another value. Flinders in 1802-03 had confirmed the general indications of the coast available from earlier Dutch voyages and provided a chart of sufficient accuracy for general navigation, but his contact with Aborigines was relatively slight and rather unhappy. Phillip Parker King continued Flinders' charting westwards from about Elcho Island in 1818-19. The three early British settlements, Fort Dundas on Melville Island (1824-29), Fort Wellington in Raffles Bay (1827-29) and Victoria in Port Essington (1838-49), were all in locations surveyed by King and neither the settlement garrisons nor the several hydrographic expeditions that called had any contact with eastern Arnhem Land, except indirectly by way of the Macassans.
    [Show full text]
  • A New Freshwater Catfish (Pisces: Ariidae) from Northern Australia
    Rec. West. Aust. Mus. 1988,14(1): 73-89 A new freshwater catfish (Pisces: Ariidae) from northern Australia PatriciaJ. Kailola* and Bryan E. Pierce* Abstract A new species of fork-tailed catfish is described on the basis of 31 specimens collected in northern Australia between the Fitzroy River (Western Australia) and the Mitchell River (Queensland). Arius midgleyi sp. novo grows to at least 1.3 m TL and is distinguished from other Australo-Papuan ariids by a combination of charac­ ters including snout shape, barbel length, eye size, tooth arrangement and gill raker number and position. Comparison is made with other ariid species occurring in northern Australian rivers, including the morphologically similar A. leptaspis (Bleeker). Introduction The Timor Sea and Gulf of Carpentaria drainage systems (Lake 1971) approx­ imately represent the Leichhardtian zoogeographic region of Whitley (1947). The rainfall pattern in this region is dominated by the wet monsoon (occurring within the period November to April). Most rivers here traverse a flat coastal plain about 15 km wide before reaching the sea (Lake 1971). These rivers commonly possess wide flood plains and low gradients, often contracting to a chain of waterholes during the dry season; some (Gregory River; Fitzroy to Daly Rivers) have reaches of rapids or very deep gorges. The average annual discharge from this region is 69000 billion litres (Lake 1971), most of it occurring during the wet season. Five of Australia's 18 species of fork-tailed catfishes (Ariidae) are common in this northern region, yet were overlooked by Whitley (1947) and Iredale and Whitley (1938). The members of this family, which is distributed circumglobally in the tropics and subtropics, may inhabit the sea, rivers within tidal influence, or fresh waters.
    [Show full text]
  • Journal of J. G. Macdonald on an Expedition from Port Denison to The
    This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project to make the world's books discoverable online. It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that's often difficult to discover. Marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book's long journey from the publisher to a library and finally to you. Usage guidelines Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying. We also ask that you: + Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for personal, non-commercial purposes. + Refrain from automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google's system: If you are conducting research on machine translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us.
    [Show full text]
  • Water Resources
    Proposed Katherine to Gove Gas Pipeline Draft Environmental Impact Statement Chapter 7 Water Resources Contents 7 Water Resources ........................................................................................................................ 1 7.1 Description ................................................................................................................................... 1 7.1.1 Existing surface water resources .................................................................................... 1 7.1.2 Existing groundwater resources ...................................................................................... 3 7.2 Potential impacts of construction and operation .......................................................................... 7 7.2.1 Water extraction .............................................................................................................. 7 7.2.2 Physical changes to watercourses (including increased sedimentation) ...................... 11 7.2.3 Potential chemical contamination .................................................................................. 16 7.3 Mitigation responses and assessment of potential impacts ....................................................... 18 7.3.1 Environmental Management Plans ............................................................................... 18 7.4 Summary – predicted environmental outcomes ......................................................................... 19 Figures Figure 7-1: Surface water management areas
    [Show full text]
  • Gapuwiyak Local Implementation Plan
    LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN GAPUWIYAK The Lake Evella Story In the Dreamtime two men, Girrgirrwanga and Gurrulan, cut a large hollow tree for a Djalubu, a coffin, in preparation for a burial ceremony. The Djalubu was placed upright in the ground on the south west edge of the current lake. A cormorant of the Dhalwangu clan flew from Gan Gan towards Gapuwiayk and when it approached, its wings hit the water and turned it into a big lake. Gapuwiyak is the traditional land of the Gupapuyngu Liyalanimirr clan. © Commonwealth of Australia 2010 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth, available from the Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Attorney-General’s Department. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Commonwealth Copyright Administration. Attorney-General’s Department, Central Office, 3-5 National Circuit, Canberra ACT 2600 or posted at www.ag.gov.au/cca. Please be aware that this report may contain the images and names of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have passed away. Design by Sprout SIGNATORY PAGE We will all work together to Close the Gap. DAVE CHALMERS AO CSC NT STATE MANAGER Through respect and collaboration DEPARTMENT OF FAMILIES, HOUSING, COMMUNITY SERVICES AND INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS we will create a better future for all of our children. This Local Implementation Plan is our THE HON MALARNDIRRI MCCarthY, MLA Northern Territory MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS DEVELOPMENT commitment to create a long lasting partnership between the people of Gapuwiyak and governments.
    [Show full text]
  • Mackay Expedition to Arnhem Land, 1928
    Mackay expedition to Arnhem Land, 1928 Once more the lure of ‘unexplored’ country and provided ‘much information’ on the country in prospects for pastoral and agricultural expansion Arnhem Land. It was probably Rogers who advised were the impetus for Donald Mackay’s Arnhem Land them against taking the buggy any further than Roper expedition in 1928. Again, Herbert Basedow and Bar. As Lovell had been hired to drive the buggy, his Frank Feast joined Mackay, along with Walter Sully, a services were no longer required and he departed. cinematographer, and CW Lovell, who was responsible On 5 May the party crossed the Roper River and for stores and equipment. They departed Sydney on headed north to the Wilton River, which it followed 3 April on the SS Marella, stopping at Brisbane where for several days. After passing Mount Marumba, they purchased a buggy, and arrived in Darwin on the expedition made for the Goyder River, passing 14 April. Two days later the party caught the train through low hills and eucalypt forests with occasional south to Katherine, where they took delivery of 26 paperbark thickets. Some time after crossing the horses and 6 mules, and Larry Coonan was engaged Goyder a hill was climbed to examine the lie of the to look after them. Two Aboriginal men, Barney and land. They decided to turn north-west. Prior to Deacon, were also hired to assist. Mackay’s expedition, only a few exploring parties had Basedow found the horses and mules initially travelled through the region, so a comprehensive problematic, noting ‘some exciting scenes when map was not available.
    [Show full text]
  • The Successful Biological Control of Spinyhead Sida, Sida Acuta [Malvaceae], by Calligrapha Pantherina (Col: Chrysomelidae) in Australia’S Northern Territory
    Proceedings of the X International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds 35 4-14 July 1999, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA Neal R. Spencer [ed.]. pp. 35-41 (2000) The Successful Biological Control of Spinyhead Sida, Sida Acuta [Malvaceae], by Calligrapha pantherina (Col: Chrysomelidae) in Australia’s Northern Territory GRANT J. FLANAGAN1, LESLEE A. HILLS1, and COLIN G. WILSON2 1Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries, P.O. Box 990, Darwin, Northern Territory 0801, Australia 2Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission P.O. Box 496, Palmerston, Northern Territory 0831, Australia Abstract Calligrapha pantherina Stål was introduced into Australia from Mexico as a biologi- cal control agent for the important pasture weed Sida acuta Burman f. (spinyhead sida). C. pantherina was released at 80 locations in Australia’s Northern Territory between September 1989 and March 1992. It established readily at most sites near the coast, but did not establish further inland until the mid to late 1990’s. Herbivory by C. pantherina provides complete or substantial control in most situations near the coast. It is still too early to determine its impact further inland. Introduction The malvaceous weed Sida acuta (sida) Burman f. (Kleinschmidt and Johnson, 1977; Mott, 1980) frequently dominates improved pastures, disturbed areas and roadsides in northern Australia. This small, erect shrub is native to Mexico and Central America but has spread throughout the tropics and subtropics (Holm et al., 1977). Chinese prospectors, who used the tough, fibrous stems to make brooms (Waterhouse and Norris, 1987), may have introduced it into northern Australia last century. Today it is widespread in higher rainfall areas from Brisbane in Queensland to the Ord River region of Western Australia.
    [Show full text]
  • Flood Watch Areas Arnhem Coastal Rivers Northern Territory River Basin No
    Flood Watch Areas Arnhem Coastal Rivers Northern Territory River Basin No. Blyth River 15 Buckingham River 17 East Alligator River 12 Goomadeer River 13 A r a f u r a S e a Goyder River 16 North West Coastal Rivers Liverpool River 14 T i m o r S e a River Basin No. Adelaide River 4 below Adelaide River Town Arnhem Croker Coastal Daly River above Douglas River 10 Melville Island Rivers Finniss River 2 Island Marchinbar Katherine River 11 Milikapiti ! Island Lower Daly River 9 1 Elcho ! Carpentaria Coastal Rivers Mary River 5 1 Island Bathurst Nguiu Maningrida Galiwinku River Basin No. Island 12 ! ! Moyle River 8 ! Nhulunbuy 13 Milingimbi ! Yirrkala ! Calvert River 31 South Alligator River 7 DARWIN ! ! Howard " Oenpelli Ramingining Groote Eylandt 23 Tiwi Islands 1 2 Island 17 North West 6 ! 14 Koolatong River 21 Jabiru Upper Adelaide River 3 Coastal 15 Batchelor 4 Limmen Bight River 27 Wildman River 6 Rivers ! 16 7 21 McArthur River 29 3 5 ! Bickerton Robinson River 30 Island Daly River ! Groote Roper River 25 ! ! Bonaparte Coastal Rivers Bonaparte 22 Alyangula Eylandt Rosie River 28 Pine 11 ! 9 Creek Angurugu River Basin No. Coastal 8 Towns River 26 ! ! Kalumburu Rivers Numbulwar Fitzmaurice River 18 ! Walker River 22 Katherine 25 Upper Victoria River 20 24 Ngukurr 23 Waterhouse River 24 18 ! Victoria River below Kalkarindji 19 10 Carpentaria G u l f 26 Coastal Rivers ! o f ! Wyndham Vanderlin C a r p e n t a r i a ! 28 Kununurra West Island Island 27 ! Borroloola 41 Mount 19 Barnett Mornington ! ! Dunmarra Island Warmun 30 (Turkey 32 Creek) ! 29 Bentinck 39 Island Kalkarindji 31 ! Elliott ! ! Karumba ! 20 ! Normanton Doomadgee Burketown Fitzroy ! Crossing Renner ! Halls Creek ! Springs ! ! Lajamanu 41 Larrawa ! Warrego Barkly ! 40 33 Homestead QLD ! Roadhouse Tennant ! Balgo Creek WA ! Hill Camooweal ! 34 Mount Isa Cloncurry ! ! ! Flood Watch Area No.
    [Show full text]
  • Whole Mitogenome Sequencing Refines Population Structure of the Critically Endangered Sawfish Pristis Pristis
    Vol. 533: 237–244, 2015 MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES Published August 6 doi: 10.3354/meps11354 Mar Ecol Prog Ser OPENPEN ACCESSCCESS Whole mitogenome sequencing refines population structure of the Critically Endangered sawfish Pristis pristis Pierre Feutry1,7,*, Peter M. Kyne1, Richard D. Pillans2, Xiao Chen3, James R. Marthick4, David L. Morgan5, Peter M. Grewe6 1Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Ellengowan Drive, Darwin 0909, Northern Territory, Australia 2CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park 4102, Queensland, Australia 3Guangxi Mangrove Research Center, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Beihai 536000, PR China 4Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart 7000, Tasmania, Australia 5Freshwater Fish Group & Fish Health Unit, Centre for Fish & Fisheries Research, School of Veterinary & Life Sciences, Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch 6150, Western Australia, Australia 6CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, Castray Esplanade, Hobart 7000, Tasmania, Australia 7Present address: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, Castray Esplanade, Hobart 7000, Tasmania, Australia ABSTRACT: The largetooth sawfish Pristis pristis (Linnaeus, 1758) is a highly threatened euryha- line elasmobranch that in recent times has undergone a significant range contraction. It now only remains in a few areas, with northern Australia being the main stronghold. Previous work using a single mitochondrial gene approach suggested the existence of regional barriers to gene flow in northern Australia. In this study, whole mitochondrial sequences of 92 P. pristis from 7 river drainages across northern Australia were used to refine the population structure. This approach revealed barriers to gene flow at a scale as fine as between adjacent river drainages.
    [Show full text]
  • Coomalie Planning Concepts and Land Use Objectives 2000 Supports the Northern Territory Government’S Vision for Coomalie for the Next 20 to 25 Years
    Department of Lands, Planning and Environment Foreword Part 1 - Planning Concepts of Coomalie Planning Concepts and Land Use Objectives 2000 supports the Northern Territory Government’s vision for Coomalie for the next 20 to 25 years. The Planning Concepts provide the direction and stimulus for public and private developers and the consent authority. This should facilitate the development of Coomalie in a manner which preserves its rural nature while recognising opportunities for continued development at a sustainable level. Part 1 - Planning Concepts provides the background information to Part 2 - Land Use Objectives. The Batchelor Division of the Northern Territory Planning Authority has been directed, and it is intended that any future Coomalie consent authority will be directed, to take the Planning Concepts into account along with those matters listed under the Planning Act 1993, when considering a development application. Part 2 - Land Use Objectives of Coomalie Planning Concepts and Land Use Objectives 2000 contains the land use objectives which have formal status by virtue of declaration under section 8(1) of the Act. Part 2 - Land Use Objectives establishes the framework for planning control within the Coomalie Sub- Region. To achieve this, land use objectives are provided under Key Objectives for the entire Sub-Region and under Land Use Objectives for specific land uses. The general discussion of issues assists in interpreting and implementing the objectives. The Coomalie Planning Concepts and Land Use Objectives 2000 aim to provide a co-ordinated and strategic approach to land use planning in Coomalie. In due course, the NT Planning Scheme Coomalie will apply to the entire Coomalie Sub-Region and parts of this Scheme will translate the land use objectives into planning practice.
    [Show full text]
  • Flood Risk Management in Australia Building Flood Resilience in a Changing Climate
    Flood Risk Management in Australia Building flood resilience in a changing climate December 2020 Flood Risk Management in Australia Building flood resilience in a changing climate Neil Dufty, Molino Stewart Pty Ltd Andrew Dyer, IAG Maryam Golnaraghi (lead investigator of the flood risk management report series and coordinating author), The Geneva Association Flood Risk Management in Australia 1 The Geneva Association The Geneva Association was created in 1973 and is the only global association of insurance companies; our members are insurance and reinsurance Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). Based on rigorous research conducted in collaboration with our members, academic institutions and multilateral organisations, our mission is to identify and investigate key trends that are likely to shape or impact the insurance industry in the future, highlighting what is at stake for the industry; develop recommendations for the industry and for policymakers; provide a platform to our members, policymakers, academics, multilateral and non-governmental organisations to discuss these trends and recommendations; reach out to global opinion leaders and influential organisations to highlight the positive contributions of insurance to better understanding risks and to building resilient and prosperous economies and societies, and thus a more sustainable world. The Geneva Association—International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics Talstrasse 70, CH-8001 Zurich Email: [email protected] | Tel: +41 44 200 49 00 | Fax: +41 44 200 49 99 Photo credits: Cover page—Markus Gebauer / Shutterstock.com December 2020 Flood Risk Management in Australia © The Geneva Association Published by The Geneva Association—International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics, Zurich. 2 www.genevaassociation.org Contents 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae
    Zootaxa 4695 (1): 001–025 ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) https://www.mapress.com/j/zt/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2019 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4695.1.1 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:54231BE1-08B9-492E-8436-3A3B1EF92057 Caridina biyiga sp. nov., a new freshwater shrimp (Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae) from Leichhardt Springs, Kakadu National Park, Australia, based on morphological and molecular data, with a preliminary illustrated key to Northern Territory Caridina JOHN W. SHORT 1, TIMOTHY J. PAGE 2 & CHRISTOPHER L. HUMPHREY 3 1 BioAccess Australia, PO Box 662, Burpengary Qld 4505, Australia. E-mail: [email protected] 2 Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia. E-mail: [email protected] 3 Supervising Scientist Branch (Heritage, Reef and Marine Division), Department of Environment & Energy, PO Box 461, Darwin, NT 0801, Australia. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Caridina biyiga sp. nov. is described from Leichhardt Springs, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, based on morphological and molecular data. The new species is highly distinctive among its congeners in having the dactylus of pereiopod 5 similar to the dactyli of pereiopods 3–4 and lacking the comb-like row of spiniform setae typical of the genus. The branchial formula is also distinctive for the genus in lacking an arthrobranch at the base of pereiopod 1 and in having a vestigial epipod on maxilliped 1. Despite the distinctive morphology of the new species, the molecular data did not provide strong support for the recognition of a new genus.
    [Show full text]