Public Lecture Series

Tales from the Riverbank: shining new light on riverscapes – by Professor James Brasington.

New Zealanders are in danger of creating “zombie” rivers, not because of nutrient overloading, but because we’re locking our waterways into position between stopbanks and impounding their headwaters.

Professor James Brasington, inaugural holder of the Waikato Regional Council Chair of River Science at the University of Waikato, says we risk the creation of zombie rivers because too often we prevent them from finding their own course and treat them as means simply to get excess water out to sea as fast as possible. He says we shouldn’t put rivers in straight-jackets because they lose the diversity of form and process that are fundamental to the creation of thriving ecosystems.

Professor Brasington is a geomorphologist who researches the processes that control the form, structure and function of rivers and their catchments. He uses remote sensing such as aerial surveys and satellites to capture the complex 3D structure of rivers, to create detailed models of rivers that capture the sand and gravel particles that shift and form them through time.

This information helps us understand what drives the evolution of rivers through floods and how they create the complex mosaic of habitats within their floodplains. His research seeks to shed light on how rivers might behave in a future shaped by a changing climate and shifting patterns of land use.

Members of the public are invited to attend a free public lecture being held at the University of Waikato on Tuesday, 6 August, entitled 'Tales from the RIverbank : shining new light on riverscapes'.

This 30-minute public lecture will be held at the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, starting at 5.45pm. Complimentary drinks and nibbles served from 5.15pm. Free parking is available on campus via Gate 2B, Knighton Road, Hamilton.

Please register your attendance via the University of Waikato website link above and bring your e-ticket with you on the night.