scholarly journals New partnerships for managing large desert landscapes: experiences from the Martu Living Deserts Project

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony Jupp ◽  
James Fitzsimons ◽  
Ben Carr ◽  
Peter See

Native fauna in Australia’s arid zone has declined significantly since European settlement; however, Martu country in the Western Desert of Western Australia retains a diversity of iconic and threatened species that were once more widespread. An innovative partnership between The Nature Conservancy, BHP Billiton and the Martu people (represented by Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa – KJ) is achieving positive social, cultural, economic and environmental outcomes, which builds on funding from the Australian Government for land management on Martu country. The partners support Martu people in fulfilling their desire to conserve the cultural and natural values of their 13.7 million ha native title determination area. Through KJ as the local delivery partner, Martu people are returning to work on country to clean and protect waterholes; improve fire management; control feral herbivores and predators; manage cultural heritage; and actively manage priority threatened species (such as the Greater Bilby and the Black-flanked Rock-wallaby). The project provides significant employment opportunities for Martu men and women in ranger teams working throughout their country. It is also generating measurable social, cultural and economic benefits for Martu people and environmental benefits for part of the most intact arid ecosystem anywhere on Earth.

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harshi K. Gamage ◽  
Subrata Mondal ◽  
Lynley A. Wallis ◽  
Paul Memmott ◽  
Darren Martin ◽  
...  

Plant-derived fibres and resins can provide biomaterials with environmental, health and financial benefits. Australian arid zone grasses have not been explored as sources of modern biomaterials including building materials. Triodia grasslands are a dominant vegetation type in the arid and semiarid regions of Australia covering a third of the continent. Of the 69 identified Triodia species, 26 produce resin from specialised cells in the outer leaf epidermis. In Aboriginal culture, Triodia biomass and resin were valued for their usefulness in cladding shelters and as a hafting agent. Since European settlement, Triodia grasslands have been used for cattle grazing and burning is a common occurrence to improve pasture value and prevent large-scale fires. Although Triodia grasslands are relatively stable to fires, more frequent and large-scale fires impact on other fire sensitive woody and herbaceous species associated with Triodia and invasion of exotic weeds resulting in localised changes in vegetation structure and composition. The extent and change occurring in Triodia grasslands as a result of altered land-use practices, fire regimes, and changing climate warrant careful consideration of their future management. Localised harvesting of Triodia grasslands could have environmental benefits and provide much needed biomaterials for desert living. Research is underway to evaluate the material properties of Triodia biomass and resin in the context of Indigenous and western scientific knowledge. Here, we review uses of Triodia and highlight research needs if sustainable harvesting is to be considered.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 230
Author(s):  
K. E. Moseby

Australia’s deserts can appear to be desolate and harsh environments, but they are extremely dynamic places that support a range of species adapted to the boom and bust conditions. Despite the resilience of the arid zone, extinction rates in arid Australia are the highest in the country and the majority of medium-sized mammals have been lost since European settlement. Katherine Moseby is a conservation biologist who lives and works in the Australian arid zone, with a particular focus on threatened species and reintroductions. She provides a brief background on arid zone ecology in Australia and the story of how she went from city slicker to desert dweller. A discussion on what it means to be a woman in conservation science is included with some insights into juggling a career and a family in a remote location.


Hydrology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Md. Rezaul Karim ◽  
B. M. Sadman Sakib ◽  
Sk. Sadman Sakib ◽  
Monzur Alam Imteaz

Despite numerous studies on residential rainwater tank, studies on commercial rainwater tank are scarce. Corporate authorities pay little heed on this sustainable feature. With the aim of encouraging corporate authorities, this study presents the feasibility and economic benefits of rainwater harvesting (RWH) in commercial buildings in the capital city of Bangladesh, where water authority struggles to maintain town water supply. The analysis was conducted using a daily water balance model under three climate scenarios (wet, dry and normal year) for five commercial buildings having catchment areas varying from 315 to 776 m2 and the storage tank capacity varying from 100 to 600 m3. It was found that for a water demand of 30 L per capita per day (lpcd), about 11% to 19% and 16% to 26.80% of the annual water demand can be supplemented by rainwater harvesting under the normal year and wet year climate conditions, respectively. The payback periods are found to be very short, only 2.25 to 3.75 years and benefit–cost (B/C) ratios are more than 1.0, even for building having the smallest catchment area (i.e., 315 m2) and no significant overflow would occur during monsoon, which leads to both economic and environmental benefits. Though the findings cannot be translated to other cities as those are dependent on factors like water price, interest rate, rainfall amount and pattern, however other cities having significant rainfall amounts should conduct similar studies to expedite implementations of widescale rainwater harvesting.


2012 ◽  
Vol 588-589 ◽  
pp. 1685-1688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lian Yong Wang ◽  
Jing Fan Zhang ◽  
Lei Dai ◽  
Jiu Ju Cai

Technical analysis was used to analyze the roasting of molybdenum concentrate on the basis of thermal balance test of rotary furnaces used for Roasting, and the results indicate that, on the condition of commercial production, the Roasting of MoS2 can occur spontaneously because the heat of reaction is so much that proper cooling measures should be adopted in case overheating happens. According to above analysis, carbon-free roasting technology of molybdenum concentrate was proposed in this paper. The results, which come from thermal balance test and technical analysis of rotary furnaces used for carbon-free roasting of molybdenum concentrate, indicate that outer heat source used in traditional Roasting technology is not needed in carbon-free roasting technology, because enough heat is generated during Roasting to ensure spontaneous reaction. In fact, heating is not needed in operating process except at the beginning, to make molybdenum concentrate catching fire, and when reaction completing, to remove residual sulphur. The technology in this paper is obviously advantageous in aspects of energy saving, output, quality of production, heat loss, the concentration of SO2 in flue gas, etc. and will have remarkable environmental benefits, economic benefits and social benefits.


2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Hritz ◽  
Craig Ross

Sport tourism is one of the fastest growing market segments in the tourism industry and is receiving increased attention for its social, environmental, and economic impacts upon destinations. Prior research in tourism impacts has tended to focus exclusively on tourism as a whole and does not differentiate among the different types of tourism that may be present in a destination. The purpose of this study was to examine how residents of Indianapolis, Indiana perceived the impacts sport tourism has upon their city. A total of 347 surveys were returned in a mailed questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a four factor structure of social benefits, environmental benefits, economic benefits, and general negative impacts. Social and economic benefits were strong predictors for support for further sport tourism development revealing a strong identification with the advantages of sport tourism in their city such as an increased cultural identity and social interaction opportunities.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1010-1012 ◽  
pp. 1985-1988
Author(s):  
Min Li ◽  
Bao You Liu

LINGO software with many favorable features such as convenient operation, high running speed, wide application and valid result, has been widely used in solving complicated issues in environmental fields in the past a few years. In this paper, three practical examples in environmental monitoring were introduced and resolved by LINGO software, the reliability of the results was verified and the comparison with other methods was given. The results show that, LINGO software is useful to direct funds and resources’ allocation in environmental monitoring, and it is an effective tool to improve economic benefits and obtain better environmental benefits.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (22) ◽  
pp. 7525
Author(s):  
Mariusz Niekurzak

The aim of the manuscript was to present the collective results of research on the profitability of using various renewable sources in Poland with the greatest development potential. In the paper, the economic parameters of various investment projects were determined and calculated, i.e., Net Capital Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and the Period of Return on Invested Capital (PBT). The economic assessment of the use of RES technologies was supplemented with the assessment of environmental benefits. The ecological criterion adopted in the study was the assessment of the potential and costs of reducing greenhouse gas emissions as a result of replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy technologies. On the basis of the constructed economic model to assess the profitability of investments, it has been shown that the analyzed projects will start to bring, depending on their type and technical specification, measurable economic benefits in the form of a reduction in the amount of energy purchased on an annual basis and environmental benefits in the form of reduction of carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. Moreover, the calculations show a high potential for the use of certain renewable sources in Poland, which contributes to the fulfillment of energy and emission obligations towards the EU. The analyzes and research of the Polish energy market with the use of the presented models have shown that the project is fully economically justified and will allow investors to make a rational decision on the appropriate selection of a specific renewable energy source for their investment. The presented economic models to assess the profitability of investments in renewable energy sources can be successfully used in other countries and can also be a starting point for a discussion about the direction of energy development. Due to the lack of collective, original and up-to-date research on the domestic market, the manuscript provides the reader with the necessary knowledge regarding the legitimacy of using renewable energy sources, investment and environmental profitability.


1995 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. 854-860 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry C. Kelly' ◽  
Yao-Chi Lu ◽  
Aref A. Abdul-Baki ◽  
John R. Teasdale

Concern for the environment has focussed attention on the need for environmentally sound, yet economically profitable, farming practices. A hairy vetch (Vicia villosa L. Roth.) organic mulch system for fresh-market tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) production provides environmental benefits by enhancing the soil and reducing the need for fertilizer and herbicide inputs and is more profitable than conventional practices. Tomato field trials over 3 years at the Beltsville (Md.) Agricultural Research Center compared the hairy vetch mulch system with black polyethylene mulch and bare ground (no mulch). Using partial budget analysis in a farm context, the hairy vetch mulch treatment was more profitable in all years under all market and yield adjustment scenarios. The vetch mulch system also was the preferred system for a risk-averse grower, according to a safety-first criterion. The combination of environmental benefits and the economic benefits to the grower make the hairy vetch mulch system an attractive alternative for producing fresh-market tomatoes in the Mid-Atlantic and parts of northeastern United States.


Author(s):  
Edy Sahputra Sitepu ◽  
Rismawati Rismawati ◽  
Dewi Comala ◽  
Edi Putra Berutu ◽  
Jamardua Haro ◽  
...  

Medan City is currently designated as one of the 20 national tourism destinations that implement Sustainable Tourism Development (STD) in Indonesia. The commitment to implement STD nationally is marked by the signing of the text of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of 20 Regional Heads who are committed to implementing STD together with the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism. Furthermore, under the supervision of the Republic of Indonesia Ministry of Tourism, 20 existing Regencies / Cities made various improvements in each region so that they were finally eligible for STD certification from the STD international certification body. Medan City itself, through the Medan City Tourism Office, related to the implementation of the STD, has established a number of leading tourism destinations. It is hoped that in the future, Medan City will have tourist destinations that have received STD certification. This research was conducted to formulate a model of implementing sustainable tourism development in Medan with a total sample of 220 people spread over 11 leading tourist destinations in the city of Medan, samples were taken with a purposive random sampling technique. The research variables used include; sustainable management, socio-cultural benefits, economic benefits for the surrounding community, environmental benefits and the application of sustainable tourism. Data analysis was carried out with a structural model of the Structural Equation Model (SEM) with the help of Amos 22 software. The results showed that the management aspects, economic aspects, socio-cultural aspects of environmental aspects, and the impact of tourism, directly and indirectly, have a positive effect on the implementation of sustainable tourism in the city of Medan.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 306-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corinna Clements ◽  
Jeffrey Alwang ◽  
Victor Barrera ◽  
Juan Manuel Dominguez

AbstractNaranjilla cultivation is highly profitable in many parts of the Andean foothills in Colombia and Ecuador. Its susceptibility to soil-borne diseases, however, lowers its economic benefits, reduces sustainability of production and increases its contribution to environmental degradation. This paper presents an analysis of the potential market and non-market benefits of research that developed and tested the grafting of common naranjilla onto disease-resistant rootstock. Grafting reduces the need for pesticide application and increases the longevity and sustainability of the plant. An economic surplus approach, carefully calibrated to reflect the realities of naranjilla production, was employed to show the large benefits from such research. Environmental and health benefits are very close in magnitude to market-mediated surplus gains. The results show substantial potential benefits from an outreach program to diffuse the new technology.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document