CVEN9888
Workshop
Week 1
Discussion Topic 1 - SoE
The NSW EPA in 2021 published the latest State of the Environment Report,
have a look through this document and answer the following questions:
https://www.soe.epa.nsw.gov.au/
A. How is Australia performing in terms of greenhouse gas emissions? What
are the key sources of emissions.
B. What indicators for climate change are being used in NSW and how are
they changing?
C. Explain the DPSIR framework, using examples from the reporting of Waste
and Recycling (under the Human Settlement Theme). Can you identify each of
the stages in the Theme?
Discussion Topic 2 - DPSIR
In a group apply the DPSIR framework for an environmental
challenge. You could choose one of the following – or make up
your own example!
• Decreasing surface water quality in
an agricultural area due to livestock
• Increased dune erosion in a coastal
area due to tourism
• Water availability in a small town
relying on dams
Driving
forces
Pressures
State
Impacts
Responses
There are some examples of
terminology options in the following
pages – you don’t have to use – but
could be inspiration!
Examples of Drivers
Food & raw
materials
Water Shelter Health Culture Security Infrastructure
•Agriculture-
croplands,
rangelands
•Aquaculture
•Oil & Gas
Extraction
•Fishing-
commercial
fisheries,
artisanal fishing,
& recreational
fishing
•Forestry
•Mining &
Quarrying – coal
mining, mineral
mining
•Drinking
water
supply
•Irrigation
Housing -
home
construction
, real estate,
single
family &
multi-unit
housing
•Textiles &
Apparel
•Medical care
– hospitals
•Pharmaceuti
cals and
cosmetics
•Social
assistance -
child care
centers
•Waste
management
- sewage
treatment
facilities and
landfills
Tourism & recreation –
recreational fishing &
hunting, beaches & natural
lands,
•Education – primary &
secondary education,
colleges & universities
•Information –
telecommunications,
scientific research,
biotechnology research &
development
•Social organizations-
churches, outreach groups,
families
•National defense –
coastal defense,
munitions
•Public
administration –
government, courts,
law enforcement
•Manufacturing & trade
•Transportation – air & road
transportation, ship & boat
operation, warehousing
•Construction & civil
engineering – road, utility
line, building, dam, and
pipeline construction
•Finance & insurance –
banks, insurance
•Utilities – electric power,
natural gas
•Technical services –
management of companies,
repair & maintenance
services, personal services
Pressure examples
Landuse changes resulting from alterations of the natural landscape, typically associated with population
growth, including:
‪ •Coastal development
‪ •Land development
‪ •Shoreline alteration
‪ •Hydrologic modifications, including impervious surfaces
‪ •Deforestation and devegetation
Discharges of pollutants may result from the operation of industries or vehicles, or the diffuse distribution of
contaminants from agricultural lands, roads, or lawns through ground-water or storm-water run-off, and includes
both
‪ •Applied chemicals – use of fertilizers, pesticides, insectides, and herbicides
‪ •Atmospheric discharges – vehicle & smokestack emissions including greenhouse gas emissions, sulphur & nitrogen oxide emissions, volatile
organic compound emissions
‪ •Waterborne discharges – point and non-point source discharges including wastewater discharges, contaminant discharges, and impervious
surface run-off
‪ •Littering
Contact uses are human activities that lead to a direct alteration or manipulation of the environment, and
include
‪ •Physical damage – dredging & filling, boat gear & anchor damage, vessel groundings, trampling, movement of boats
‪ •Biological addition – ballast discharge, release of non-natives, feeding, creation of artificial habitat
‪ •Biological harvest – harvesting, fishing, accidental by-catch, clear cutting
Note: many of these examples are
related to marine systems – but you can
get the idea!
Examples of State
Living habitat is generally defined by the ecosystem of interest.
•Desert – desert plants
•Wetlands – seagrasses, mangroves, wetland forests
•Grasslands – grasses, shrubs, trees
•Forests – trees, understory plants
•Reefs – oyster beds, stony coral, algae, sponges & anemones
•Agricultural Plants Living habitat, including plants and sessile animals, form the foundation of
primary productivity and habitat that support
Inhabitants and form the food web including
•Birds & Mammals
•Reptiles & amphibians
•Fish
•Invertebrates - including shellfish, insects Their diversity is often strongly linked to the diversity of
living habitat.
Invasive species compete with, prey upon, or alter interactions among native
species. They may enter the system through intentional introductions,
hitchhiking on human transportation (cars, boats) or other animals, or accidental
release of pets, garden plants, or aquarium species. Invasive species include
•Aquatic species – including fish & aquatic invertebrates
•Animals – including birds, insects
•Plants – including grasses, shrubs, vines, and trees.
Microorganisms and pathogens may have benefits in ecosystem function,
such as decomposers or mycorrhizae, or be disease-causing agents, and
include
•Bacteria
•Fungi
•Viruses
Abiotic state reflects the magnitude, frequency, and concentration of the environment including
•Physical variables – climate variables (air and sea temperature, precipitation, storms & hurricanes, drought), hydrology, ocean circulation
patterns, turbidity, fire
•Chemical variables – contaminants, nutrients, pH, atmospheric CO2 levels, salinity
The abiotic environment determines the survival, growth, and distribution of living organisms in the Biological state.
Biological state includes the biological components of the ecosystem and their interactions.
Examples of Impacts
Things that can affect Ecosystem services – so e.g droughts affect water
resources.
The following show Ecosystem services – the impacts are things that affect them!
Supporting services - biophysical processes that maintain the functioning of the
ecosystem, and are necessary for the production of other ecosystem services,
but may not have direct impacts to humans, including
•Structure – Soil stabilization, wave energy attenuation
•Nutrient & contaminant processing
•Water cycling
•Carbon storage & cycling – including primary production
•Provision of food and habitat to critical species
Regulating services – biophysical processes that regulate the ecosystem,
including
•Air quality regulation
•Climate regulation
•Water regulation
•Erosion regulation
•Water purification and waste treatment
•Disease regulation
Provisioning services – the biological, chemical, or products
obtained or harvested from ecosystems for human use
including
•Water resources – including fresh water
•Food resources – including finfish, shellfish, and hunting
stock
•Biochemical & genetic resources – for pharmaceutical
development, or breeding of wild & controlled populations
•Raw materials – including fuel, fiber, and ornamental
resources
Cultural services – include the nonmaterial benefits people
obtain from the ecological integrity of ecosystems through
spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection,
recreation, and aesthetic experiences, including
•Recreational value & ecotourism
•Aesthetic value
•Cultural value
•Spiritual or religious value
•Social relations
•Sense of place
•Educational or knowledge value
•Research potential
Pest regulation
•Pollination
•Natural hazard regulation
•Untapped future potential
Discussion Topic 3 - NEPM
The National Environment Protection
Measures (NEPM) are a national level
set of objectives to protect or manage
certain aspects of the environment.
Looking at the NEPM for Ambient Air
Quality
http://www.nepc.gov.au/nepms/ambient-
air-quality
+ download the document (or look
on Moodle)
A. What is the desired
environmental outcome for the
measure?
B. What does the protection
measure monitor?
C. Why is it important to have
national level goals
D. In 2021, the legislation was
updated, why would these measures
need to be updated?