SVWebsite

Client: EWR (a natural resource management specialist consultancy group).

Rising groundwater is a significant planning issue in natural resource management agencies especially Catchment Management Authorities (CMA). Planning for the potential impacts of rising groundwater is being considered within a risk management context.

One of the key assets that are potentially at threat from rising groundwater is biodiversity. An understanding of the potential threat to this environmental asset is a key input to any comprehensive analysis of the potential risk posed by rising groundwater.

Spatial Vision was commissioned to design and implement a simple risk model that could provide a broad understanding of the geographic context of the threat posed by rising groundwater to biodiversity.  EWR required the model to provide a spatial information product that communicated the relationship between groundwater levels (2004 and 2050) and a surrogate for biodiversity (Bioregional Conservation Status of native vegetation).

The solution developed by Spatial Vision involved synthesising a range of datasets provided by EWR and reorganising the classification systems within the two key input information sources that would, when combined, create ranked classification that was commensurate with a risk matrix.

The resultant information products focused on the High-value / High-threat component of the matrix above.
The information created by Spatial Vision was then presented in map format (CMA-based) for use in strategic planning in northern Victoria.

Demonstrated Capabilities

• In depth knowledge of State-wide groundwater and biodiversity information
• Expertise in the design and development of simple but powerful interaction models
• Development of automated procedures for data development.

Resources

Milos Pelikan developed the methodology and designed the information products

Technologies Applied

• ArcGIS / Workstation ArcInfo / Spatial Analyst