22nd International
Riversymposium
Keynote Speaker
Presentations
Available on the IRF Youtube Channel
There are two keynote presentations currently up on the IRF Youtube channel and we will be releasing the remaining three over the next few weeks.
Basin Bookends
Leith Boully and Karlene Maywald
This joint interactive plenary seeks to share the perspectives of the upstream and downstream communities’ challenges through personal narratives and share solutions. A Change Maker Panel representing science, business, cultural and government sectors, then describe their challenges in communicating and influencing change on the road to resilient rivers.
Valuing our Rivers: Yangtze River Basin Economic Belt
Au Shion Yee
Following on from Leith and Karlene's keynote on upstream and downstream tensions, Au Shion Yee from the Asian Development Bank speaks about Ecological Compensation, a framework which seeks to address this issue and is currently being piloted at the Yangtze River Basin. Upstream communities undertake work to maintain the river water quality to an agreed standard, and the cost of this work is then reimbursed by the downstream communities if the standard has been achieved.
If you're looking for even more Riversymposium content, research and stories, take the time to visit our Past Proceedings page. It's a great resource with presentations from the 19th International Riversymposium and onwards available for download.
James River, USA
2019 Thiess International Riverprize Winner
We would like to congratulate the James River Association once again for winning the 20th Thiess International Riverprize. Congratulations to our co-finalists Friends of the Chicago River and the Whangawehi Catchment Management Group. All three finalists have accomplished amazing restoration work for their rivers which should be celebrated and commended. We had over 600 people attend the 20th anniversary Riverprize Gala Dinner so thank you to everyone who joined this celebration of our rivers! “The James River Association has worked to improve the health of the James River since 1976, when the James was considered one of the most polluted rivers in the country. Winning the 2019 International Riverprize is a tremendous tribute to the progress that we have made together with the Commonwealth of Virginia and many public and private partners. Receiving this award strengthens our resolve to continue this comeback story, and we hope it will inspire everyone who lives, works and plays around the James River to jump in and help out so the James remains a vital asset for our communities and for future generations.”
- William H. Street, Chief Executive Officer of the James River Association
If you haven't already, check out the three finalist videos that were showcased at the Gala Dinner!
During the 22nd International Riversymposium, the IRF along with delegates from the Riversymposium were invited by ABC Radio Brisbane for a special river broadcast program. Eva Abal (IRF), Bill Dennison (University of Maryland Centre for Environmental Studies), Marcella D'Souza ( WOTR Centre for Resilience Studies), Elyse Reithmuller (Fitzroy Basin Association) and Walter Kling (Vienna Water) were interviewed on their role around river basin management. Topics discussed included climate change, the Great Barrier Reef, and how we should be managing people when water supplies are uncertain. We will be releasing the podcasts of their interviews over the following months so stay tuned!
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