Home
Podcasts
Their Stories: Professor Ross Thompson

Episode:
6
Their Stories: Professor Ross Thompson

Guests:
Ross Thompson, Director and Chair of Water Science, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra

From a brief medical career to leading water science, this conversation brings warmth, humour, and systems thinking to the challenge of environmental flows in the Murray Darling Basin. The discussion covers how to deliver water for maximum ecological benefit, the value of interdisciplinary thinking, and how science operates within the messy reality of politics, society, and economics. Expect laughs, and at least a few good-natured digs at the guest's New Zealand heritage.

Show Notes

‘Their Stories’ is a mini-series of conversations exploring the thoughts, motivations and lives of people who work in connection with nature – whether it be as a scientist, communicator or landholder.  In this episode, Siwan talks to Professor Ross Thompson, Director and Chair of Water Science at the Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra. Their talk focuses on work currently underway in environmental flows, with both involved in the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office’s Flow – Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Program project, which is exploring how to manage and deliver water to gain the greatest environmental benefit in areas of the Murray-Darling Basin.

The discussion covers Ross’s transition from a brief medical career to an ecological one, the value of systems thinking, and how science can be used effectively within the interdependent political, social, economic and environmental context that is our society.  The conversation is fun, interesting, and interspersed with lots of laughs and a few ‘accidental’ accent jibes about Ross’s New Zealand heritage.

Resources:

  • Water for the environment: The Flow-MER Program
    Ross plays a key role within the Flow-MER, the primary means by which the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office (CEWO) monitor and evaluate the delivery of Commonwealth environmental water in the Murray-Darling Basin. We have had the pleasure of working with Ross and several others across the program, and seeing some great progress and results so far.
    Visit the Flow-MER Website