​During his lecture, Professor Thompson emphasized the importance of environmental irrigation on a broad scale, which presents an opportunity to implement adaptive management approaches. These approaches require a clear understanding of management objectives at all relevant levels. Professor Thompson presented the experience of the evaluation and monitoring program in the Murray-Darling Basin (Australia), showing that adaptive management can be highly effective when community and institutional governance structures align with the management unit (at the "valley" level). He noted the risks scientists face when engaging in policy and management, highlighting the need to understand these risks fully. He also stressed the opportunity to benefit from socio-ecological thinking and the use of tools to engage stakeholders across multiple spatial scales.​