As part of our special 13 week series exploring the 13 key themes of the Victorian SoE 2018 Report, this week we highlight our chapter on Water Resources and review the Recommendation. The Water Resources chapter includes assessments of Victoria’s water resources and storage, projected runoff to dams and catchments, condition of flow regimes and delivery of water for the environment, surface water harvested for consumptive use, and water recycling. Given that the pace of change to ecosystems, including waterways is increasing due to climate change and other factors, the independent Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Dr Gillian Sparkes has recommended improvements in long-term monitoring and risk mitigation of, Victoria’s water resources and waterway health to protect the health of our water ecosystems. “We must continue to build capability, harness citizen science and move beyond traditional methods of environmental monitoring and reporting. We need to be able to understand and act faster than ever before,” says Dr Sparkes.