Ken Sutton Lecture “Geography at the interface: The science and management of land along rivers”
Ian Rutherfurd, School of Geography, Melbourne University
Erosion into a farm road along the Upper Murray River, NE Victoria, after the 2010 floods; photo by Ian Rutherfurd.
Some of the most interesting geography happens at borders, intersections and interfaces. In this talk I discuss the important and fractious interface between land and rivers. Like coasts, this is where the dynamism of nature meets the inflexibility of human societies. This world of moving river banks, riparian vegetation, flooding, and high-value floodplain agriculture, is now also a focus of environmental action across the world. I will discuss the key values and issues in rural riparian land, as well as the latest ideas for living with valuable but dynamic spaces.
About the presenter: Ian is a geographer and fluvial geomorphologist. He has worked for 25 years in the water sector as an academic and consultant, including several years working in state government. At present he is a Professor in the School of Geography at the University of Melbourne. Ian’s research interests relate to processes of erosion and sedimentation in river channels, particularly human impacts on rivers, interactions between vegetation and rivers, and the dynamics of fine and coarse sediment pulses in rivers. His work has turned increasingly to the physical and social dimensions of restoration of disturbed fluvial systems. He has published over 80 journal articles, 50 consulting reports, and has been involved in over $7 million in research grants, assisted by over 60 co-authors and 30 PhD students. His international work includes projects in South East Asia, China, the USA, Canada and South Africa. He has advised government through involvement in numerous committees and enquires. He has been the president of the Institute of Australian Geographers, as well as the Australia New Zealand Geomorphology Group.
Please note: This will be a virtual lecture delivered online via Zoom. Please register for the lecture and the lecture link will be emailed to all registrants closer to the lecture date. If you have any questions, please email us at info@rgsq.org.au.
The lecture may be recorded, therefore we ask that you mute your microphone and turn your camera off during the lecture. You will have the chance to ask questions via the lecture chat. If you have any concerns about the lecture being recorded, please let us know.
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