KA (Ken) Irvine

My research focuses on providing a firm basis for the understanding of wetland ecology and the impact of disturbance, such as nutrient additions and sediment loads. This involves quantification of fundamental components, the linking of ecological mechanisms operating within lakes and their catchments, and the policies which drive, and protect ecosystems from, anthropogenic impact. My work fosters an integrated and interdisciplinary approach and has spanned scales from detailed study of invertebrate feeding behaviour to nutrient movements within entire catchments, and the policies and drivers that affect water management and those affected by it. The work has covered a range of water body types from shallow eutrophic temperate lakes to large tropical systems, ephemeral lakes and wetlands. In relation to the later a "community of practice" involving a larger number of actors (incl. managers, communities, NGOs, agencies) is being developed for Africa, as drivers of change affect long term integrity and societal use of natural resources. Current activities, heading up the Aquatic Ecosystems Group at UNESCO-IHE, include research in ecological processes, catchment management, lake restoration, ecosystems services of wetlands, and the ecological and social impacts of wetland conversion and intensification within wetlands and adjoining catchments. In the last three years research in wetlands of the Lake Victoria Basin has included developing projects with BirdLife International and local partners investigating ecosystem services, to support future management planning, including the drafting of an Integrated Management Plan for the lower Mara wetland. Elsewhere my work has included, development of a certification process for IWRM professionals, increasing attention to the challenges of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and linking social and ecological processes for sustainability. In this regard recent projects have included how rural developing world communities achieve agency in managing local water resources