Wetland Condition Assessment Tool (WetCAT)

WetCAT has been designed as a rapid assessment method, to measure a change in condition of lacustrine and palustrine wetlands, in response to an event (such as a bushfire), and to track impacts of management interventions (such as rehabilitation activities).

The WetCAT has also been designed to undertake an assessment of threats to better understand the relationship between threats and changes to wetland condition.

Many of the indicators used in this method are aligned with the Wetland Tracker: Great Barrier Reef Catchment Wetland Condition Monitoring Program.

Quick links

WetCAT: A Condition Assessment Tool for Measuring Event Recovery and Rehabilitation in Palustrine and Lacustrine Wetlands in Queensland

 

Wetland Condition Assessment Tool (WetCAT): A Condition Assessment Tool for Measuring Event Recovery and Rehabilitation in Palustrine and Lacustrine Wetlands in Queensland

Some wetlands are less healthy than they once were and have lost their ability to effectively deliver services. The state of a wetland affects its ability to deliver these services and is often referred to as the ‘condition’ of the wetland.

WetCAT uses observations and other information, such as spatial data, mapping and other evidence, to support assessment of threats and changes to wetland condition. The assessment method is based on indicators, but the techniques used to score indicators can be user-defined, based on considerations such as project objectives, resourcing, expertise, existing data and techniques, funding, and regional setting. The user must be able to justify the score assigned for each indicator using the data sheets and causal links that underpin the indicator scores.

WetCAT provides guidance on wetland assessment and monitoring, including details on when to assess wetlands and where, what background information to collect and from where, how to develop the Condition Assessment Monitoring Plan, information on condition and threat indicators and how they should be scored as well as templates for the condition and threat indicator data sheets.

Last updated: 24 June 2022