INFFER

Project Overview

​​

Conservation decision-making is a trade-off of the cost of gathering information to reduce uncertainty against spending resources directly on on-ground management. Recent projects have focused on managing uncertainty through 3 approaches:

1) Estimating biodiversity management costs by developing broad-scale cost models for threatened species across Australia and fine-scale recovery cost estimates for Norfolk Island;

2) Developing the Conservation Compass for Norfolk Island — a dynamic bioeconomic decision support tool that explicitly models parameter uncertainty to forecast how varying management settings affect both costs and ecological outcomes;

3) Applying a VOI-based (Value of information) research project prioritisation approach for Norfolk Island’ predator-proof fence decision, that efficiently ranks information gathering value on uncertain variables for the decision.

These approaches intend to help conservation managers better account for uncertainty in their decisions, with the expectation that these approaches will grow more powerful as data availability and decision support tools continue to improve.  

​

For detailed information, project updates and access to publications, visit the dedicated project website.

​​

Project Overview

​​

Dr Ram Pandit is investigating how to integrate economic principles with conservation strategies with a view to building momentum in becoming a Nature Positive Economy.  His work is focussing on two aspects of biodiversity economics and finance. First, identifying and understanding the issues, problems and challenges faced by WABSI stakeholders in mainstreaming biodiversity economics and finance in their operational decisions. Second, what are the research priorities to fulfil the knowledge gaps in valuing biodiversity and financing its conservation in WA.

The work undertaken will pave the way for valuing biodiversity and devising innovative financing mechanisms for conservation efforts.  These aspects of biodiversity conservation are vitally important as we move towards a Nature Positive Economy and ensure sustainable development for generations to come.  

Project Overview

​

The project will explore the ‘value of information’ provided by different non-market valuation approaches, in order to identify the trade-offs between the cost, complexity, uncertainty and usefulness associated with the approaches. Understanding these trade-offs will enable non-market valuation practitioners to guide decision makers on what approaches are most efficient in providing decision support for different types of environmental decisions.​