Office for Environmental Programs - Theses
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ItemModelling the effect of environmental flows on riparian vegetation( 2012)The anthropogenic alteration of flow regimes through river regulation is having profound negative effects on riparian ecosystems worldwide (Webb et al. 2010b). Maintaining the integrity of river ecosystems is essential for the continual provision of ecological services to benefit the natural environmental and human uses. In South-East Australia, alterations to flow frequency for irrigation and water supply have disrupted native biota and resulted in a decline in ecosystem health. Riparian vegetation, in particular, supplies key ecosystem services and is sensitive to alterations in the natural hydrological regime. Managers are attempting to balance ecological needs through 'environmental flows'. However, there is little evidence supporting the effectiveness of this river restoration method (Lake 2001). Sound decision making for allocating flows is dependent on strong scientific evidence describing the causal relationships in the ecological system (de Little et al. 2012). This project used a rigourous process to promote the use of evidence-based synthesis and build evidence for causality between 'environmental flows' and native riparian vegetation abundance. This project aimed to build a Bayesian belief Network (BBN) to assist in the management of riparian systems in South-East Australia. Initially, causal linkages in a conceptual model, which described the relationships between flow and vegetation response, were defined through a causal criteria analysis in the form of a systematic literature review. The review found support for causal links between the frequency of high flow and an increase in condition. In addition, the review found an increase in over bank flows and an increase in germination, a decrease in woody adult mortality and an increase in herbaceous vegetation and woody seedling mortality. Some linkages showed support
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ItemThe challenges of emissions trading in China( 2012)Under the 12`h Five-Year-Plan (FYP), China is moving forward to the implementation of pilot emissions trading scheme (ETS). This would be the first experiment of mandatory ETS in China and also an important sign on the evolution of the climate policy for China. Voluntary emissions trading practices based around Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Voluntary Emissions Reductions (VERs) have existed in China in recent years. By contrast, the upcoming pilot ETSs in China will be mandatory for covered sectors and installations. This research compares the EU ETS and the CCX with the China's proposed mandatory pilot ETSs and existing voluntary ETS respectively. Then, challenges that China's ETS may face can be suggested based on the key criteria come up from the EU ETS and the CCX. The challenges of China's ETS can be found in the respects of the establishment of regulatory contexts, cap setting-up and allowances allocation, designing and implementation of a compliance framework, and establishment and operation of diverse trading mechanisms. When comes to the co-operation and linkage among proposed Chinese pilot ETSs and a future national ETS in China, two most possible scenarios are discussed in the thesis. The first potential scenario is that the national ETS replaces pilot ETSs. The second potential scenario is that pilots are linked directly and then to expand as the national ETS. On the other hand, the potential linkage between China's ETS and the EU ETS can be expected, especially as the European Commission announced that the EU would assist China in establishing the national ETS according to an agreement signed by the EU and China in September 2012. However, there will be several issues existing in the establishment of a linkage. Whether those two ETSs are compatible and the allowances are recognised by each other are the key elements of the potential linkage building between the EU ETS and the future national ETS in China.
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ItemTemporal trends in water quality data and its relationship with flow volumes in streams of contrasting catchment urbanisation over a period of large climate variability( 2012)This paper discusses the financial barriers to implementation of the National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) in small island states in the South Pacific, with a particular focus on Tuvalu and Kiribati. There are significant issues in these places including extreme weather events and deteriorated ecosystems that require urgent adaptation. However, Pacific island states have extremely small economies and poor governance and the implementation of NAPAs is expensive and requires well-organized institutions. Weak governance and dependent economies amongst small islands in the Pacific are barriers to the implementation of adaptation strategies. Because of this, there are doubts about the feasibility of NAPAs in terms of project cost and implementation. This paper explores external funding options (e.g. Green Climate Fund) for adaptation in small island states and advocates Community Based Adaptation (CBA) projects as a way to build the sustainability of communities in the South Pacific. The CBA approach may be an effective solution to delivering adaptation programs at low cost whilst strengthening the resilience, and building the capacity of local communities to adapt to climate change.
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ItemThe challenges of funding climate change adaption in the South Pacific( 2012)This paper discusses the financial barriers to implementation of the National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) in small island states in the South Pacific, with a particular focus on Tuvalu and Kiribati. There are significant issues in these places including extreme weather events and deteriorated ecosystems that require urgent adaptation. However, Pacific island states have extremely small economies and poor governance and the implementation of NAPAs is expensive and requires well-organized institutions. Weak governance and dependent economies amongst small islands in the Pacific are barriers to the implementation of adaptation strategies. Because of this, there are doubts about the feasibility of NAPAs in terms of project cost and implementation. This paper explores external funding options (e.g. Green Climate Fund) for adaptation in small island states and advocates Community Based Adaptation (CBA) projects as a way to build the sustainability of communities in the South Pacific. The CBA approach may be an effective solution to delivering adaptation programs at low cost whilst strengthening the resilience, and building the capacity of local communities to adapt to climate change.
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ItemLessons from the Venny: a research study investigating the community benefits and future opportunities for staffed adventure playgrounds( 2012)This research paper is the third phase of an ongoing study of the environmental design, performance, and benefits of `the Venny'; a Melbourne-based communal backyard and adventure playground facility. The study focuses on investigating the various social, environmental and community benefits of the Venny playground using qualitative social research methods including surveys, interviews and observations. By engaging with local residents who utilise the facility, this study uses community feedback to identify the key perceived benefits of the Venny. Council planners, Venny staff and government officials were also consulted to help identify factors which limit the development of similar playground facilities throughout Melbourne. The three key foci of this research were: 1. To identify and assess the community and environmental benefits of the Venny playground facility 2. To identify the key barriers which limit the development of other communal backyards and adventure playgrounds, and 3. To discuss the opportunities for future facilities to learn from the Venny's design and operation. This report also identified the main barriers to the development of such facilities and offers recommendations on how these might be overcome in the future. Key barriers identified were: 1. Lack of funding 2. Risk averse society 3. Lack of trained play-workers 4. Lack of space in areas of urban density In response to these barriers, this report offers the following recommendations: 1. Further research exploring the benefits and risks associated with these facilities 2. Evaluation of existing playgrounds and their suitability for redevelopment as adventure playgrounds 3. Increased funding, and 4. Increased opportunities for training as play-workers A review of recent research and literature suggests that there is an increasing recognition of the benefits of more diverse and challenging playgrounds which enable opportunities for children to experience risk. Furthermore, survey and interview results indicate a strong level of support for the Venny facility and recognition of the various benefits it provides to the local community.
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ItemEffects of experimental flooding on egg survival of Krefft's River Turtle: implications for freshwater turtle conservation( 2012)Anthropogenic changes to river catchments via changes to flow rate and volume can dramatically influence biodiversity. Most of Australia's major rivers are now impounded from the construction of dams and weirs causing the loss and significant alteration to habitat due to modified flow regimes. Such changes can negatively impact biodiversity, particularly specialist species. For example, anthropogenically altered flow regimes expose freshwater turtle to a seasonal inundation events that are assumed to exacerbate egg mortality during the incubation phase. Thus flooding of freshwater turtle eggs has been identified as an additional threatening process that could further impact both listed and non-listed freshwater turtles. Consequently, understanding the degree of mortality imposed on turtle eggs during incubation is a crucial step to ascertaining management implications from altered flow regimes on turtle populations. Here I conducted experiments to specifically identify the effects of 1) duration and 2) timing of inundation on Emydura macquarii krefftii egg hatching success and hatchling phenotypes. This was done in order to measure both direct and potentially indirect mortality costs associated with altered river flow regimes. Four treatments of eggs; control, 30 minutes submersion, one hour submersion and 6 hours submersion were flooded at nine periods during incubation (within the first 24 hours then every week following). Analysis revealed that inundation for any length of time caused a significant increase in egg mortality compared to control eggs. The developmental age at which inundation treatments were applied also had a significant impact on hatching success, with age 0 exhibiting the highest mortality rate and other developmental ages displaying fairly similar but increased mortality relative to controls. These results suggest that E. m. krefftii eggs are very sensitive to even brief episodes of inundation, especially within the first 24 hours of incubation. Moreover, if other turtle species are proven to exhibit similar sensitivities to inundation during egg incubation from altered river flow regimes these results suggests additional and potentially high mortality to all terrestrial nesting freshwater turtles. Ultimately these results support the need to prioritise informed management of anthropogenically altered flow regimes in order to prevent potential loss of an entire guild of vertebrates and their ensuing ecological function
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ItemAn interdisciplinary approach to understanding the pattern of transport use in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam( 2012)Research into the social and psychological aspects of transport has gained increasing importance, especially when unsustainable behaviour patterns centred around the car are barriers to sustainable urban transport (Seethaler& Rose 2003). An unsustainable transport system in the cities of Vietnam has resulted from a significant increase in private vehicle use, combined with minimal development of public transport. This has led to severe air pollution and heavy traffic congestion in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). Transport planning in urban Vietnam is dominated by technical expertise, but with little focus on transport behaviour. In addition, research has not yet provided policy makers with an understanding of the factors influencing individual travel behaviour. This research project applies a transport psychology approach, and the new mobilities paradigm, to examine the driving forces of transport use in HCMC, focusing on individual behaviour and certain policy aspects. A survey was conducted among HCMC citizens to understand their travel patterns, their perception of selected modes of transport, and their attitudes towards the traffic situation in the city. The lack of a good public transport service contributes to the dominance of motorbikes in HCMC, but respondents were nonetheless strongly aware that better public transport could alleviate air pollution and congestion. They still prioritised their individual travel needs in making transport decisions. Cars were perceived by participants to have more symbolic-affective values than instrumental ones - car ownership was valued, even if chronic congestion makes driving impractical in the city. The recent increase in automobile ownership in the city is driven therefore by the perceived affective-symbolic values of the car. At the policy level, government decisions on the automobile industry and proposed measures for tackling traffic congestion were found to be shaping a car-oriented development strategy. The research points out several weaknesses of transport governance in Vietnam, leading to conflicting development goals and ad hoc solutions to traffic congestion in HCMC. The study also highlights the importance of public engagement in developing transport policy. It is suggested that the Vietnamese government should develop a more interdisciplinary approach to addressing traffic congestion while minimising the conflict between economic growth and the sustainability agenda, which is currently leading to high levels of pollution and congestion.
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ItemEnvironmental benefits of integrated landscapes( 2012)This paper presents a literature review of research into the benefits of integrated landscapes. The study will look into the benefits and effects of urban vegetation in cities and high-rise buildings. Researchers in this area have suggested the addition of vegetation into the urban environment has multiple benefits, falling within the broadly defined categories of thermal regulation, social/health, storm-water management and urban biodiversity. This paper examines the research around these benefits, and the implications for the design of buildings, and urban planning Several authors (Wong et al. 2010, Van den Berg et al. 2007, Oberndorfer et al. 2007) describe the benefits of the addition of vegetation into the urban environment, especially in buildings, in terms of the topoclimate of cities and the microclimates of buildings. Plants can provide quantitative benefits like financial returns as well as qualitative effects like social, aesthetic and emotional benefits (Wong 2010). There are several environmental benefits such as the cooling effect through direct shading and evapotranspiration which benefits individual buildings and alleviates UHI (Wong et al. 2010). This is directly correlated with the thermal impact on the performance of the building and their immediate environment, influencing the energy consumption pattern of buildings. Economic benefits may be significant when the cooling effect of vegetation in buildings is considered in terms of energy savings. Plants improve air quality and can provide a natural filter for stormwater. Thus plants are effective for conserving water and removing surface contaminants in surface water. In terms of social benefits, buildings with urban greenery present opportunities such as communal gardens in rooftops, places to relax and mingle and community interaction (Wong 2007). Also, plants are considered to have restorative effects of health especially in high-density environments. The integration of greenery in the urban environment, as pointed out by Kibert, Sendzimir, Guy (2002) and Kibert and Grosskopf (2007), have the potential to provide food production, provide environmental amenity, decrease the need for heating and cooling, provide a mean to store storm water and to treat wastewater. The general trends leans towards the positive benefits of integrated landscapes in the urban environment. Future studies should also integrate the benefits of not only introduction roof gardens, but also a whole system of ecosystem interconnected in the structures. At this point, the technology and the research have not matured enough in order for it to be commercially viable. If going forwards the role of integrating landscapes into the building environment should be incorporated when conceptualizing the building not only by its aesthetical reasons but also because of its benefits in other areas functioning as a part of the whole building ecosystem.