Hugh Milner
Mr Hugh Milner is an independent water resource consultant with 40 years experience working in Australia and in developing countries on:
• Policy and institutional development for sustainable management of water resources
• River basin planning and irrigation and water supply management
• Surface water hydrology and data management for water resource systems
• Water allocation issues and property rights
• Environmental impact assessment
Hugh worked for the Department of Land and Water Conservation (and its predecessors) in Australia for 26 years. His final position in the Department was Senior Hydrologist, Water Resource Management Directorate. In this position he was responsible for a number of policy and technical aspects of inter-state and inter-governmental water resource planning and management, particularly the Murray Darling Basin Commission and the Snowy Mountains Scheme, jointly operated to produce electricity and divert water into the Murray-Darling Basin. Since the late 1990s he has worked as an international consultant and team leader in water resources management and water policy in several countries in Asia, including China, Afghanistan, Lao PDR, India and Cambodia.
• Policy and institutional development for sustainable management of water resources
• River basin planning and irrigation and water supply management
• Surface water hydrology and data management for water resource systems
• Water allocation issues and property rights
• Environmental impact assessment
Hugh worked for the Department of Land and Water Conservation (and its predecessors) in Australia for 26 years. His final position in the Department was Senior Hydrologist, Water Resource Management Directorate. In this position he was responsible for a number of policy and technical aspects of inter-state and inter-governmental water resource planning and management, particularly the Murray Darling Basin Commission and the Snowy Mountains Scheme, jointly operated to produce electricity and divert water into the Murray-Darling Basin. Since the late 1990s he has worked as an international consultant and team leader in water resources management and water policy in several countries in Asia, including China, Afghanistan, Lao PDR, India and Cambodia.
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The book has 20 chapters by leading authors on river basin management and brings to the reader an up to date analysis and provides a window into this important subject.
The ecological approach and sustainable land management are based on sophisticated concept and advanced scientific research, yet they need to be understood and implemented by people using the land. The use of real examples to present this information allows an effective combination of ecological principles and a community-based planning process. Farmers are assisted in developing an understanding of degradations trends in their own area and recognize vegetation types representing sustainable conditions. The ecological approach maximizes the use of natural resources without causing damage to an ecosystem.
Implementation usually occurs at the level of a small catchment used by the community. The facilitators of the community-based planning process develop an understanding of the whole catchment. They present this understanding to the village people as individual issues, focusing on one problem at a time, while considering the connections of that problem with the rest of the catchment. This is particularly important with regard to the availability of water and soil protection.
The use of the ecological approach has the potential to revolutionize catchment management, especially when used in conjunction with participatory scientific management. Participation in natural resource management is broadly defined as: people’s active involvement in making decisions about the use of resources, and the design implementation and review of processes, programs and projects which affect them. In order to implement effective programs, an outcome must be found which benefits both the land user and is a sustainable environmental practice, creating downstream benefits in lower catchments.
An example from the Huangshui catchment in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in NW China is presented to illustrate the implementation of the participatory approach.
Catchment management promotes a process of data gathering information knowledge policies strategies and actions. It is both a scientific and socio-political process. It requires on-going and stable funding. Developing catchment management plans in conjunction with the community is essential to effective plan implementation Such community involvement provides the community with a sense of ownership of the plans.
By way of illustration experience of catchment management, community participation and grazing management of rangelands in Qinghai Province of China are analysed. The
case for rangeland management planning to be conducted on a catchment by catchment basis is outlined.
The book has 20 chapters by leading authors on river basin management and brings to the reader an up to date analysis and provides a window into this important subject.
The ecological approach and sustainable land management are based on sophisticated concept and advanced scientific research, yet they need to be understood and implemented by people using the land. The use of real examples to present this information allows an effective combination of ecological principles and a community-based planning process. Farmers are assisted in developing an understanding of degradations trends in their own area and recognize vegetation types representing sustainable conditions. The ecological approach maximizes the use of natural resources without causing damage to an ecosystem.
Implementation usually occurs at the level of a small catchment used by the community. The facilitators of the community-based planning process develop an understanding of the whole catchment. They present this understanding to the village people as individual issues, focusing on one problem at a time, while considering the connections of that problem with the rest of the catchment. This is particularly important with regard to the availability of water and soil protection.
The use of the ecological approach has the potential to revolutionize catchment management, especially when used in conjunction with participatory scientific management. Participation in natural resource management is broadly defined as: people’s active involvement in making decisions about the use of resources, and the design implementation and review of processes, programs and projects which affect them. In order to implement effective programs, an outcome must be found which benefits both the land user and is a sustainable environmental practice, creating downstream benefits in lower catchments.
An example from the Huangshui catchment in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in NW China is presented to illustrate the implementation of the participatory approach.
Catchment management promotes a process of data gathering information knowledge policies strategies and actions. It is both a scientific and socio-political process. It requires on-going and stable funding. Developing catchment management plans in conjunction with the community is essential to effective plan implementation Such community involvement provides the community with a sense of ownership of the plans.
By way of illustration experience of catchment management, community participation and grazing management of rangelands in Qinghai Province of China are analysed. The
case for rangeland management planning to be conducted on a catchment by catchment basis is outlined.
Individual land management options documentation includes a description of a current land condition and specifies an objective for sustainable management, such as the land condition which needs to be achieved. E.g. Degraded Alpine Shrubland in a wetland area is to be
rehabilitated to as near natural condition as possible to protect water resources. A definition for both the existing and desired condition for Alpine Shrubland can be found in the Project's Decision Support System (DSS) Handbook (Volume 3 in this series). These definitions should
also be included in the VCMP.
PEM is based on an ecological understanding of the rehabilitation process from the existing to the desired ecologically-sustainable condition. Using PEM, it is possible to avoid , trial and error management decisions and ensure greater effectiveness. PEM is used to check the
progress towards a desired condition, and once this condition is achieved, to ensure that it is sustained. E.g. The aim of sustainable land management might be rehabilitation of Degraded Alpine Meadow and subsequent use of this meadow for hay making. PEM helps to decide how long the meadow should be protected from use before it can be sustainably used. Once the meadow is suitable for productive use, PEM would determine (i) the best time for cutting to achieve a good quality hay, (ii) the height the grass should be cut to, to protect soil and prevent
drying out of the meadow, (iii) whether the meadow has recovered sufficiently from previous years and is suitable for cutting, and (iv) any signs of illegal grazing of the meadow.
Management Project (QFRMP) as a practical method for monitoring the outcomes of planning
and implementing the Village-based Catchment Management Plans (VCMP). This method
combines a joint review by the participating communities and government staff of the
development and implementation of the annual plan with a number of simple surveys. While the
objectives and indicators used in this manual relate to QFRMP, the methodology can be adapted
readily for monitoring other community-based resource management initiatives which have
different objectives and use different indicators.
The review process both measures achievement of objectives, and builds community capacity to
make a critical performance review, identifying areas for improvement, and commencing plan
development for the next year. Through the review process the VCMP Committee members and
the participating communities will increase their capacity to monitor Annual Plan activity, and to
plan and coordinate management and maintenance past Annual Plan activities in partnership with
Township and County staff. The yearly cycle of planning-implementation-review repeated over 3
years, as adopted by the QFRMP, allows action learning from successes as well as mistakes.
The Participatory Environmental Monitoring method (see Volume 10) is complementary to this Manual.
1. Understand the social and the geophysical/ecological context and
the purpose of the afforestation, and plan accordingly.
2. Match species of trees and shrubs to ecological land classes and
sites.
3. Plan the design and planting density according to the land class,
climate and site particulars.
4. Prepare the site carefully. Avoid making the site more difficult by
over-preparation.
5. Take care to use only high quality of seeds and seedlings, of the
right provenance.
6. Plant according to the design, following guidelines and choosing
the right season.
7. Provide enough tending and after-care, good protection, and longterm
management.
This book provides the technology guidelines for the basic rules.
The DSS can be used in two ways:
1) By simply matching vegetation types identified in the field with the type in the DSS and following the instructions for land use management given in the DSS.
- This method will lead to improved management without gaining deeper ecological knowledge of the local environment. It does not require additional instructions apart from those already included in the DSS Handbook (Volume 3: Decision Support System A Handbook for Ecologically-based Land Management in Huzhu, Ledu, Ping'an and
Huangzhong). This way is appropriate when developing land-use management options within the four counties of Huzhu, Ledu, Ping'an and Huangzhong for which the DSS was developed.
2) By using the DSS in conjunction with data from a survey of a new area to develop an ecological classification at a catchment level and to identify management options within the context of that catchment ecosystem.
This method will allow a deeper ecological understanding of a new catchment to be developed and result in a more exact ecological classification specific to that catchment.
management, to develop and demonstrate improved management of forest land, building the capacity for improved management of
vegetation, soil and water resources for the benefit of local and downstream communities in the Huangshui River catchment. The project's activities focused at the village level to maximize the participation of the community in the management of natural resources.
develop sufficient expertise to deliver the training and supervise the application of the planning process in participating villages. While it assumes the trainers will have only a limited background and little or no experience in providing action-oriented training, it does expect the trainers will have participated in the training itself as trainees, as well as completed a generic Training-of-Trainers course.