Institutional transitions to sustainable agriculture: An inter-disciplinary analysis of a novel common-property resource governance system. Efforts to overcome the severe degradation of land resources supporting agriculture and human communities continue to be constrained by institutions and social norms. The knowledge needed for a transition to sustainable agricultural landscapes through institutional change is inadequate. A collaboration between specialists in economics, politics, sociology, ....Institutional transitions to sustainable agriculture: An inter-disciplinary analysis of a novel common-property resource governance system. Efforts to overcome the severe degradation of land resources supporting agriculture and human communities continue to be constrained by institutions and social norms. The knowledge needed for a transition to sustainable agricultural landscapes through institutional change is inadequate. A collaboration between specialists in economics, politics, sociology, ecology and soil science at the University of New England and graziers in an upper Murray-Darling subcatchment will analyse the transition to a common-property institution on this subcatchment. It will make a distinctively Australian contribution to international efforts to understand such transitions, and serve as a model for progress towards sustainability elsewhere in Australia.
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Transitioning to a water-secure future in the Basin. Increased water scarcity threatens the viability of the Murray-Darling Basin. There has been little analysis conducted of the consequences of water market impediments. The economic dimensions of trade impediments, water management, water market intervention and the net social benefits of water markets are at the core of this project. In particular, this project aims to explore: the impact of impediments and policy in water markets; how further ....Transitioning to a water-secure future in the Basin. Increased water scarcity threatens the viability of the Murray-Darling Basin. There has been little analysis conducted of the consequences of water market impediments. The economic dimensions of trade impediments, water management, water market intervention and the net social benefits of water markets are at the core of this project. In particular, this project aims to explore: the impact of impediments and policy in water markets; how further water market products may increase water market efficiency; and, the nature and sources of transactions costs in markets. Benefits from this project will enhance resilience and adaptation of irrigators to future climate change and water shortages, as well as providing future policy guidance.Read moreRead less
High resolution digital soil mapping. Soil mapping is a key part of land-resource assessment for sustainable environmental management. This project aims to build a methodology to provide a high quality digital soil maps. The output will enable the use of soil data and information to give a clear understanding of the status of, and changes in, the nation's land, vegetation and water resources and implications for their sustainable use.
Investigating Linkages Among Individual Decision Rules, Properties of Experimental Designs and Choice Models In Environmental Economics Applications. Discrete Choice Experiments or 'stated preference' (SP) surveys are increasingly being used to estimate public benefits of proposed environmental policy changes. The accuracy of environmental policy analyses and forecasts of welfare changes based on SP models depends heavily on unbiased parameter estimates. Our project aims to assess what happens i ....Investigating Linkages Among Individual Decision Rules, Properties of Experimental Designs and Choice Models In Environmental Economics Applications. Discrete Choice Experiments or 'stated preference' (SP) surveys are increasingly being used to estimate public benefits of proposed environmental policy changes. The accuracy of environmental policy analyses and forecasts of welfare changes based on SP models depends heavily on unbiased parameter estimates. Our project aims to assess what happens if common assumptions about consumer preferences in SP surveys are violated. We also study whether exploratory analysis methods can detect the violations to guide future research and applications. Successful completion of this project will lead to more accurate policy analyses and forecasts based on discrete choice models.Read moreRead less
Digital soil mapping: a contribution to the resolution of the soil information crisis. Soil mapping is a key part of land-resource assessment for sustainable environmental management. Australia and the world have a soil information crisis - the soil is not mapped at sufficient resolution for effective management. This is mainly caused by the large expense of conventional soil survey. This project aims to develop a radical and robust, quantitative and cost-effective methodology for digital soil m ....Digital soil mapping: a contribution to the resolution of the soil information crisis. Soil mapping is a key part of land-resource assessment for sustainable environmental management. Australia and the world have a soil information crisis - the soil is not mapped at sufficient resolution for effective management. This is mainly caused by the large expense of conventional soil survey. This project aims to develop a radical and robust, quantitative and cost-effective methodology for digital soil mapping. We will test and modify the approach in two areas in eastern Australia and transfer the methodology and products to the scientific community, and agencies charged with the responsibility for soil assessment.Read moreRead less
Water for Australia's future - reducing fears and increasing acceptance of alternative water sources through public information. Australia is in the midst of a water crisis. Available water sources are dwindling. Alternative water sources are key to Australia's sustainable water future. National and international experiences show that while alternative water treatment technologies are available, public acceptance is the most important factor to determining the successful implementation of altern ....Water for Australia's future - reducing fears and increasing acceptance of alternative water sources through public information. Australia is in the midst of a water crisis. Available water sources are dwindling. Alternative water sources are key to Australia's sustainable water future. National and international experiences show that while alternative water treatment technologies are available, public acceptance is the most important factor to determining the successful implementation of alternative water schemes. This project will study public acceptance of a range of alternative water schemes in Australia. It will identify barriers to adoption of these alternatives and highlight preferred options by the community. The information needs of Australians will be identified and optimal communication strategies developed.Read moreRead less
Direct reduction of mixed oxides at lower temperatures: a novel approach to produce lightweight ferrous alloys. This project will develop a novel approach to directly produce aluminium based ferrous alloys at temperatures 550C-950C lower than conventional processes. The simultaneous reduction of mixed oxides will lower the energy requirements for producing ferroalloys, enhance cost effectiveness and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Mechanisms linking site water status and net primary productivity. Australia is the driest of all inhabited continents and also has the lowest primary productivity. This project will determine the mechanisms linking these observations. Through development of a detailed mechanistic understanding of how site water balance determines site productivity and application of this understanding in a state-of-the-art model, we shall improve forest and water resource management and our understanding of the ....Mechanisms linking site water status and net primary productivity. Australia is the driest of all inhabited continents and also has the lowest primary productivity. This project will determine the mechanisms linking these observations. Through development of a detailed mechanistic understanding of how site water balance determines site productivity and application of this understanding in a state-of-the-art model, we shall improve forest and water resource management and our understanding of the unique ecology of Australia.Read moreRead less
Improving payments for ecosystem services efficacy. This project aims to improve the cost-effectiveness of payments for ecosystem services (PES) programs in settings where deforestation risk is high. The project introduces a field experiment in Uganda in order to determine effective methods for monitoring compliance and setting payment levels. The project intends to examine whether program impacts are undermined by displacement of deforestation and if there are poverty reduction trade-offs inher ....Improving payments for ecosystem services efficacy. This project aims to improve the cost-effectiveness of payments for ecosystem services (PES) programs in settings where deforestation risk is high. The project introduces a field experiment in Uganda in order to determine effective methods for monitoring compliance and setting payment levels. The project intends to examine whether program impacts are undermined by displacement of deforestation and if there are poverty reduction trade-offs inherent in program design. The project expects to establish the costs of foregone production from land enrolled in the program, which are largely unknown. The findings will support efforts to create low cost technologies to solve conservation challenges and assist with the efficient allocation of scarce resources for environmental protection in both Australian and international contexts.Read moreRead less
Application of very short-lived Uranium-series isotopes to constraining Earth system processes. This proposal is directly concerned with the continuing aim of building a sustainable Australia through knowledge of deep earth resources. Uranium series isotopes are relevant to the very recent history of the planet (< 350 000 years) - time scales which are often over-looked. The more we know about the rates of processes the better we will be able to inform models for volcanic hazard mitigation, soil ....Application of very short-lived Uranium-series isotopes to constraining Earth system processes. This proposal is directly concerned with the continuing aim of building a sustainable Australia through knowledge of deep earth resources. Uranium series isotopes are relevant to the very recent history of the planet (< 350 000 years) - time scales which are often over-looked. The more we know about the rates of processes the better we will be able to inform models for volcanic hazard mitigation, soil sustainability and resource exploration and safeguarding. It is to these techniques we must look if we are to understand the immediate past as a clue to the immediate future of our planet.Read moreRead less