International River Foundation
| Formation | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Brisbane City Council Government of Queensland Thiess BHP Mitsubishi Alliance |
| Location |
|
| Website | www |
The International River Foundation, sometimes stylised as the International RiverFoundation, is an Australian environmental organisation focused on global river restoration and protection.[1] It was co-founded in 2003 by Brisbane City Council, the Queensland Government, and the mining companies Thiess and BHP Mitsubishi Alliance.[2]
Activities
International River Symposium
The International River Foundation hosts the International River Symposium conference (sometimes stylised as the "International Riversymposium") annually in Brisbane, Australia. The event is intended to promote knowledge exchange among global river practitioners.[3] The first International River Symposium was held in 1998 as part of the Brisbane Festival, prefiguring the founding of the International River Foundation.[4]
Brisbane Declaration
The 10th International Riversymposium and International Environmental Flows Conference was held in September 2007 and attended by over 750 delegates from more than 50 countries. The event resulted in a consensus document known as the Brisbane Declaration and Global Action Agenda, which is considered a significant landmark in setting international goals for environmental flows in freshwater-dependent ecosystems among scientists and water management practitioners.[5][6]
Thiess International River Prize
The International River Foundation awards the Thiess International River Prize (sometimes spelled "Riverprize") for excellence in river restoration and management. The prize is presented from a slate of finalists during the annual International River Symposium. First presented in 1999 prior to the founding of the International River Foundation, the award is considered by some to be the most prestigious honor in the field of river restoration.[7][1][8] The award comes with a cash prize of US$100,000 as of 2025.[9]
Asia River Prize
| Year | Recipient | Principle waterway | Locale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission[10] | Pasig River | Philippines |
Australasian River Prize
| Year | Recipient | Principle waterway | Locale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Whangawehi Catchment Management Group[11] | Whangawehi Stream | New Zealand |
Australian River Prize
| Year | Recipient | Principle waterway |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority | Murray River |
| 2013 | Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority | Glenelg River |
| 2012 | Condamine Alliance | Condamine River |
| 2011 | Sunshine Coast District Council | Rivers of the Sunshine Coast |
| 2010 | Derwent Estuary Program | Derwent Estuary |
| 2009 | Oxley Creek Catchment Association | Oxley Creek |
| 2006 | Torbay Catchments Group | Torbay Catchment |
| 2005 | Murray Wetlands Working Group | Murray Wetlands |
| 2005 | Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee | Bulimba Creek |
| 2004 | Great Lakes Council | Wallis Lake |
| 2003 | Hunter Catchment Management Trust | Hunter River |
| 2002 | Merri Creek Management Committee | Merri Creek |
| 2001 | Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority | Goulburn Broken Catchment |
European River Prize
| Year | Recipient | Principle waterway | Locale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Cumbria River Restoration Partnerships Programme[12] | Rivers of the Lake District National Park | United Kingdom |
| 2016 | Segura River Project[13] | Segura River | Spain |
| 2014 | Freiland Environmental Consulting Civil Engineers and Government of Styria[14] | River Mur | Austria |
| 2013 | International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine[15] | River Rhine | Europe |
New Zealand River Prize
| Year | Recipient | Principle waterway |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Aorere River Initiative[16] | Aorere River |
North American River Prize
| Year | Recipient | Principle waterway | Locale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper[17] | Buffalo River | New York, United States |
Twinning
The International River Foundation's Twinning programme encourages peer-to-peer learning by creating partnerships between river advocacy organisations in different countries. For example, the River Thames was twinned with the Ganges River in 2013.[18][1]
References
- ^ a b c Dennison, Bill (24 March 2011). "International RiverFoundation". ian.umces.edu. University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Integration and Application Network. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ "About Us". International River Foundation. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ "26th International River Symposium 2025". Hydrobiology. Hydrobiology Pty Ltd. 12 September 2025. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ "International River Symposium". International River Foundation. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Arthington, Angela H.; Bhaduri, Anik; Bunn, Stuart E.; Jackson, Sue E.; Tharme, Rebecca E.; Tickner, Dave; Young, Bill; Acreman, Mike; Baker, Natalie; Capon, Samantha; Horne, Avril C.; Kendy, Eloise; McClain, Michael E.; Poff, N. LeRoy; Richter, Brian D.; Ward, Selina (2 July 2018). "The Brisbane Declaration and Global Action Agenda on Environmental Flows (2018)". Frontiers in Environmental Science. 6 45. Bibcode:2018FrEnS...6...45A. doi:10.3389/fenvs.2018.00045. hdl:10072/381098.
- ^ "Brisbane Declaration". www.conservationgateway.org. The Nature Conservancy. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Tickell, Pamela (24 July 2025). "Cumbria river project is Thiess International awards finalist". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ "River Prize". International River Foundation. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ a b Dahlman, Steven (17 September 2025). "Friends of the Chicago River wins international award". Loop North News. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ Ronda, Rainier Allan (19 October 2018). "Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission gets international award". Philstar.com. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ "Australasian Award for Whangawehi Stream Project". Hawke's Bay Regional Council. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ Capel, Michael (18 January 2023). "Cumbrian rivers project scoops prestigious European Riverprize". Water Magazine. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ "Segura river in Spain wins European Riverprize". Water News Europe. 8 March 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ "River Mur wins IRF European Riverprize 2014". www.icpdr.org. International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ "Rhine river commission wins Europe's first River prize". www.dutchwatersector.com. Dutch Water Sector. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ "Aorere Wins NZ RiverPrize". www.scoop.co.nz. Scoop News. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ jmaloni (5 May 2015). "Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper wins first North American Riverprize". Niagara Frontier Publications. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ Ryan, Melanie (Summer 2013). "Twinning". Environmental Education. 103: 13. Retrieved 28 November 2025.