CLUES to the big questions
"If we allow large-scale conversion of forestry to dairying here, what would be the effect on water quality and on local living standards?" That’s the sort of big question faced by regional resource planners. To answer such questions requires tools for predicting the cumulative effects of multiple nutrient and sediment inputs at a larger catchment scale, while also incorporating an economic and social dimension. No such tools existed in New Zealand until CLUES (Catchment Land Use for Environmental Sustainability).
The project involves a team of scientists led by NIWA, with input from AgResearch, HortResearch, Landcare Research, Lincoln Ventures, and Harris Consulting.
The system under development allows a GIS (geographical information system) user to model nitrogen and phosphorus loads in streams as land use changes, and also provides data on economic implications. The project is sponsored by MAF, with additional support from Environment Waikato and Envirolink.