Andrew Fenemor
Manaaki Whenua | Landcare Research
Andrew Fenemor is a hydrologist and water management researcher, now a Research Associate at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research in Nelson. He has over 40 years’ experience in hydrological research, water resource planning and catchment management. Between 2002 and 2011 he led the Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) research programme based in the Motueka catchment (icm.landcareresearch.co.nz). Prior to that, he held various water and environmental management roles at Tasman District Council and predecessor organisations.
Andrew is an accredited RMA commissioner with experience on hearings panels for ECan, ORC, BOPRC and recently (2019-20) on the Ministerial panel for the Essential Freshwater reforms. He has more recently been a member of an Environment Southland expert panel on use of models to set water quality limits and of the Nelson City Council ‘Right Tree Right Place’ taskforce recommending the future for the Council’s pine forests.
Recent science work has included modelling catchment-scale nitrogen losses from farming (Waimea Plains Tasman, and Te Waikoropupū WCO), research supporting the design and implementation of collaborative freshwater planning processes, and an indigenous-centred approach to water allocation.
Integrated Catchment Management – Its Evolution from Theory to Science to Practice
What is ICM?
Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) has become mainstream across Aotearoa NZ.
Land uses and management activities inevitably create impacts beyond property boundaries, particularly hydrological and water quality impacts. Managing downstream impacts must require some level of collective management of upstream activities. This is the essence of ICM – collaboration, adaptation and integrated management from mountains to the sea.
The theory, science and practice of ICM
This keynote traces ICM from its theory as an impossible ideal to its practice delivered with variable success through catchment groups, farm environment plans and regional council advocacy. I summarise research findings from ICM-related research, especially from the 12-year ICM research programme based in Tasman's Motueka catchment.
Among the issues and challenges discussed will be
· the multiple dimensions of integration
· the importance of the catchment scale for management, but what size of catchment?
· ways to integrate social and biophysical science
· reconciling Māori matauranga and western science for agreed solutions
· the need for continual reinvention and re-engagement across catchment communities
· innovation and engagement through art-science collaboration
· understanding scale, especially hydrological lag times
· facilitating ICM through the RMA and successor legislation
· ICM research challenges, unfinished business.
Selected References
Fenemor AD, Phillips C, Allen WJ, Young RG, Harmsworth GR, Bowden WB, Basher L, Gillespie P, Kilvington M, Davies-Colley RJ, Dymond J, Cole A, Lauder G, Davie T, Smith RA, Markham S, Deans NA, Atkinson M, Collins A (2011). Integrated Catchment Management – interweaving social process and science knowledge. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 45(3): 313-331 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00288330.2011.593529
NZ Hydrological Society 2021. From hydrology to policy development and implementation: trends in Aotearoa New Zealand’s freshwater management and governance. Chapter in 60th anniversary publication of the NZ Hydrological Society, December 2021, A. Fenemor and N. Kirk (lead authors): 39-56.
Phillips CJ, Allen W, Fenemor A, Bowden B, Young R. 2010. Integrated catchment management research: Lessons for interdisciplinary science from the Motueka Catchment, New Zealand. Marine & Freshwater Research 61:749-763.