Freshwater focus for planet’s future

By Mary Bolling

A CQUniversity water quality expert has led the analysis of freshwater science for the United Nations latest global environmental assessment, and highlighted how science can transform protection and rehabilitation for waterways.

The UN Environment Programme’s Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is a flagship series assessing policy responses and future pathways to protect our planet, and ensure human health and food supply.

The seventh edition was launched in December, and Rockhampton-based Dr Shaneel Chandra was among 287 scientists who contributed.

As lead author for the Freshwater chapter, Dr Chandra said rivers, lakes and wetlands globally faced some of the biggest challenges of any natural areas. 

“Freshwater ecosystems are experiencing the highest rates of biodiversity loss, with an estimated 89 species confirmed extinct, and 178 more suspected extinct, around the world,” he said.

“We estimate another 24 per cent of freshwater species are threatened with extinction, and that’s driven by loss of habitat, invasive species, overexploitation, pollution, and climate change.

Global analysis, local impacts

The report also highlighted that wetlands are vanishing three times faster than forests – and Dr Chandra warned that Australia isn’t immune to impacts.

“In Australia, and especially Queensland, wetlands play a vital role and are scientifically recognised for their ability to filter water and remove nutrients, reducing the amount of pollutants that reach the Great Barrier Reef,” Dr Chandra explained.

Queensland has more types of wetlands than any other state of Australia, and recent innovations to preserve them include mapping and restoring fish and fauna “biopassages”, or routes for travelling around and between ecosytems. 

“These types of projects are part of ensuring the health of wetlands, and of our environment as a whole,” Dr Chandra explained.

”Our growing knowledge also drives policy to prevent wetland disruptions, that can have large-scale flow on impacts all over the Great Barrier Reef Catchment, the inshore areas, mid-shelf and outer reefs,” Dr Chandra explained.

Choosing change

An academic with CQUniversity’s Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre and the College of Science and Sustainability, Dr Chandra said changes to agricultural practice had improved some aspects of how humans manage waterways. 

“Global water use efficiency has improved by approximately 19.3 per cent in the six years to 2021, and the most significant gains were in the irrigated agriculture sector, which saw a 35.6 per cent improvement,” he said. 

But the 21^st century has also seen pesticide use skyrocket, up from 2.2 million tons in 2000 to 3.7 million tons in 2022.

“As less land globally is used for farming, increased intensity of agricultural systems means more pesticides, and ultimately worse impacts as the run-off affects freshwater environments,” Dr Chandra said.

The latest GEO also highlighted the growing health and environment risks from emerging contaminants, including micro and nano plastics, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, hormones, per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), flame retardants, plasticizers and corrosion inhibitors.

“These invisible and often unregulated contaminants are impacting beyond natural environments by increasingly showing up in drinking water, and have huge and complex impacts on human health,” he said.

Cost of inaction

The GEO forecasts a bleak future if environmental degradation continues on its current trajectory, including 9 million pollution-related deaths every year, 1 million species at risk of extinction, and a cost of US$143 billion a year in climate-driven extreme-weather losses. 

But Dr Chandra says the thorough scientific understanding paves the way for change. 

“Transformative, science-led action could deliver US$20 trillion a year in global benefits by 2070, lift millions out of poverty, and restore the planet’s life-support systems – including our rivers, catchments and coastal waters,” he said. 

CQUniversity driving transformative environmental stewardship, through research and education that is recognised for contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). 

CQU is ranked as the 7^th most impactful university in the world contributing to SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), and 11^th in the world for SDG 14 (Life Below Water), in the 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

Explore CQU’s commitment to the UN SDGS.