1. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Northern Australia floodplain and coastal wetlands Max Finlayson National Centre for Tropical Wetland Research Darwin, NT

2. Northern Australia floodplain and coastal wetlands Aim Participation Geographic Region / Location Data sources / Scale Components Next steps

3. Aim Provide information on the floodplain and coastal ecosystems and their services at multiple scales and taking into account multiple pressures

4. Geographic Region / Location Northern Australia – east of Darwin Coastal biogeographic region Alligator Rivers – 28 000 km 2 Catchments of three rivers Kakadu National Park – World Heritage & Ramsar listed

5. Geographic Region / Location

6. Participation Discussed through existing panels, boards Biophysical scientists Social scientists Management agencies Local community / indigenous Private sector

7. Data sources Information derived from current or planned projects Biophysical features – extensive; ready access Social/cultural features – extensive; discuss access Floodplain services – variable; derived from biophysical data and managers Pressures – extensive analyses; risk assessments underway

8. Scale Biogeographical or catchment scale 1:100 000 to 1:250 000 Catchment scales 1:50 000 to 1:100 000 Habitats / river reaches 1:10 000

9. Components Inventory/mapping – GIS multiple scale Floodplain services – indigenous, biodiversity, tourism, recreation (fish stocks, mitigation of climate change, cattle grazing) Risk assessment of major pressures – invasive species, water pollution, infrastructure, burning, climate change

10. 10 Basic (Core) dataset stored in Database with GIS Interface Location; physico-chemical and biological features (ecological character); land tenure; land use; management issues and threats... Level 4 Wetland habitat Location; altitude; area; land systems; climate; hydrology; vegetation Level 2 Wetland region 1:250 000 Location; physico-chemical and biological features; classification; jurisdiction; ecosystem services Level 3 Wetland complex 1:50 000 Hierarchical approach to wetland inventory Geology; climate; landcover Level 1 River basin or island 1:1 000 000 Scale (nominal)

11. The Risk Assessment Framework The Risk Assessment Framework (modified from van Dam et al. 1999; Ramsar 2000)

12. Major pressures

13. Major pressures – insidious effects of climate change

14. Next steps Further consultation – with participants, advisors and stakeholders Collation / analysis – based on previous and current projects Communication – discussing and finalising analyses and outcomes

15. Thank you