Managing risks associated with environmental water delivery: a case study of the Goulburn River, Australia

Effective environmental watering programmes improve the ecological conditions of river systems. This involves identifying and managing any significant risks that may hinder programme success. We undertook a qualitative study exploring how environmental water managers perceive and manage these risks while planning and delivering environmental water, using the Goulburn River, south-east Australia, as a case study. We developed a risk table detailing the progression of key risk events and how environmental water managers manage these. The findings highlight that many risk management strategies are tied to different organizations and water users, making it challenging to successfully deliver environmental water.