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The Brisbane Declaration
This declaration presents summary findings and a global action agenda that address the urgent need to protect rivers globally, as proclaimed at the 10th International Riversymposium and Environmental Flows Conference, held in Brisbane, Australia, on 3-6 September 2007.
The conference was attended by more than 750 scientists, economists, engineers, resource managers and policy makers from 50 nations.
Key findings include:
- Freshwater ecosystems are the foundation of our social, cultural, and economic well-being.
- Freshwater ecosystems are seriously impaired and continue to degrade at alarming rates.
- Water flowing to the sea is not wasted.
- Flow alteration imperils freshwater and estuarine ecosystems.
- Environmental flow management provides the water flows needed to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems in coexistence with agriculture, industry, and cities.
- Climate change intensifies the urgency.
- Progress has been made, but much more attention is needed.
The global agenda commits to:
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Estimate environmental flow needs everywhere immediately.
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Integrate environmental flow management into every aspect of land and water management.
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Establish institutional frameworks.
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Integrate water quality management.
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Actively engage all stakeholders.
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Implement and enforce environmental flow standards.
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Identify and conserve a global network of free-flowing rivers.
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Build capacity.
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Learn by doing.
We hope you'll share this document with your colleagues as this document will be the most useful if it is disseminated far and wide, with your help.
Download the pdf of the Brisbane Declaration
Now available in Spanish!
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