Winners of the 2006 Thiess Riverprize included Torbay Catchment Group and WA Department of Water for their catchment restoration project on the south coast of Western Australia, and the Sha River Restoration Project for their work on China’s Sha River.

The ICPDR has been chosen as one of four finalists for the Australian-based International Thiess Riverprize. The world’s largest prize in the field, the prize is a partnership between the International Riverfoundation, established to advocate the protection and restoration of the world’s rivers and waterways for future generations, and Riverfestival.

“The fact that we’re short-listed for this is clearly an acknowledgement of the significance of the work that the ICPDR has done”, says Philip Weller, ICPDR Executive Secretary.

Recognising ICPDR’s efforts. The ICPDR was selected based on its collaborative approach to improving water quality. Paul Greenfield, Chairperson of the Riversymposium, said the project exemplifies the spirit of the International Thiess Riverprize. “Many countries are facing a water crisis and now more than ever it is important for the International Thiess Riverprize to reward and promote best practice water management”, says Greenfield. “All people involved in the ICPDR project should feel proud their efforts have been recognised in this way.”

Three other government and community groups from China, New Zealand and Canada received recognition as finalists for the prize for their work in tackling pollution, water quality, erosion and flooding.

Possibility for expanded activities. Receiving the prize would mean recognition for the ICPDR’s commitment to the river basin. Additionally, however, prize winners will receive AUD $300,000 (€189,000). This would allow the ICPDR to expand its activities in the basin. “What we have indicated to the prize committee, is that those resources would be used to further extend the public awareness and outreach activities and to allow us to have more intensive cooperation with other international river basins to share the knowledge that we have and to learn from the experience in other basins”, says Weller.

Winners of the International Thiess Riverprize will be announced at a special ceremony on September 4, 2007, during the 10th International Riversymposium and Environmental Flows Conference in Brisbane, Australia. The symposium will focus on the emerging field of river management and environmental flows. The programme will feature presentations on innovative practices and case studies from all over the world and a wide range of perspectives on managing river flows for people and ecosystem health. The Riversymposium is part of Riverfestival, a community and environmental festival celebrating waterways and culture.

For more information on the International Thiess Riverprizes,
please visit: www.riversymposium.com.

Kirstie Shepherd is a freelance journalist living in Vienna and has
called the Danube River Basin home since 2000.