Adaptive assessment and management of riverine ecosystems: The Crocodile/Elands River case study

The River Health Programme (RHP) is being designed to generate information regarding the ecological state of riverine ecosystems in South Africa. An a daptive assessment and management procedure is suggested as a means of link ing the monitoring outcomes of the RHP with water resource management decis ions. The potential of such a procedure is demonstrated, using data that ha ve been collected, through the pilot application of the RHP, on the Crocodi le and Elands Rivers, Mpumalanga. In order to assess the collected data relative to a reference state, homoge neous river segments were identified. Each segment was classified in terms of its relative ecological integrity, based on three biological indicators (fish, benthic invertebrates, riparian vegetation). These assessments of cu rrent integrity were compared with management goals and quality objectives for the respective ri, er segments. Finally, river segments were ranked in terms of priority for receiving management attention, and an example is giv en of formulating appropriate management actions for addressing a high prio rity need. The systematic following of the step-wise procedure would facilitate and fo rmalise the linking of data collection and assessment, the setting of manag ement goals and quantifiable objectives, the selection of management option s, and the monitoring of responses to chosen management actions.