International River Foundation
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The International River Foundation, sometimes stylised as the International RiverFoundation, is an Australian environmental organisation focused on global river restoration and protection. It was co-founded in 2003 by Brisbane City Council, the Queensland Government, and the mining companies Thiess and BHP Mitsubishi Alliance.
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. The first International River Symposium was held in 1998 as part of the Brisbane Festival, prefiguring the founding of the International River Foundation.
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.
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. The award comes with a cash prize of US$100,000 as of 2025[update].
Asia River Prize
| Year | Recipient | Principle waterway | Locale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission | Pasig River | Philippines |
Australasian River Prize
| Year | Recipient | Principle waterway | Locale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Whangawehi Catchment Management Group | 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 | Rivers of the Lake District National Park | United Kingdom |
| 2016 | Segura River Project | Segura River | Spain |
| 2014 | Freiland Environmental Consulting Civil Engineers and Government of Styria | River Mur | Austria |
| 2013 | International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine | River Rhine | Europe |
New Zealand River Prize
| Year | Recipient | Principle waterway |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Aorere River Initiative | Aorere River |
North American River Prize
| Year | Recipient | Principle waterway | Locale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper | 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.