Use of poverty indicators and the poverty pyramid for agricultural and rural development in the smallholder sector in Sri Lanka

Based on official micro-level poverty studies for agricultural and rural development in the smallholder sector of Sri Lanka. The Poverty Pyramid was found to be a powerful tool for poverty analysis and the design of poverty alleviation strategies that are targeted at sustained poverty alleviation. Identification of the correct target groups by factors that prevent them from being more productive in their income generation activities is crucial to the formulation of rural development programs that benefit poor people first and most.

Cost and feasibility of a barrier to halt the spread of invasive cane toads in arid Australia: incorporating expert knowledge into model-based decision-making

1. Active engagement with practitioners is a crucial component of model-based decision-making in conservation management; it can assist with data acquisition, improve models and help narrow the 'knowing-doing' gap.
2. We worked with practitioners of one of the worst invasive species in Australia, the cane toad Rhinella marina, to revise a model that estimates the effectiveness of landscape barriers to contain spread. The original model predicted that the invasion could be contained by managing artificial watering points on pastoral properties, but was initially met with scepticism by practitioners, in part due to a lack of engagement during model development.
3. We held a workshop with practitioners and experts in cane toad biology. Using structured decision-making, we elicited concerns about the original model, revised its structure, updated relevant input data, added an economic component and found the most cost-effective location for a barrier across a range of fixed budgets and management scenarios. We then conducted scenario analyses to test the sensitivity of management decisions to model revisions.
4. We found that toad spread could be contained for all of the scenarios tested. Our modelling suggests a barrier could cost $4·5 M (2015 AUD) over 50 years for the most likely landscape scenario. The incorporation of practitioner knowledge into the model was crucial. As well as improving engagement, when we incorporated practitioner concerns (particularly regarding the effects of irrigation and dwellings on toad spread), we found a different location for the optimal barrier compared to a previously published study (Tingley et al. 2013).
5. Synthesis and applications. Through engagement with practitioners, we turned an academic modelling exercise into a decision-support tool that integrated local information, and considered more realistic scenarios and constraints. Active engagement with practitioners led to productive revisions of a model that estimates the effectiveness of a landscape barrier to contain spread of the invasive cane toad R. marina. Benefits also include greater confidence in model predictions, improving our assessment of the cost and feasibility of containing the spread of toads.

Food cost and availability in a rural setting in Australia

Introduction: The burden of chronic diseases is rapidly increasing worldwide. In  Australia rural populations have a greater burden of disease. Chronic diseases are largely preventable with diet as a key risk factor. With respect to diet-related chronic disease, dietary risk may be due to poor food access, namely, poor availability and/or the high cost of healthy food. It is likely that poor food access is an issue in rural areas. Objective: To assess food access in rural south-west (SW) Victoria, Australia.

Methods: A total of 53 supermarkets and grocery stores in 42 towns participated in a survey of food cost and availability in the rural area of SW Victoria. The survey assessed availability and cost of a Healthy Food Access Basket (HFAB) which was designed to meet the nutritional needs of a family of 6 for 2 weeks.

Results: Seventy-two percent of the eligible shops in SW Victoria were surveyed. The study found that the complete HFAB was significantly more likely to be available in a town with a chain-owned store (p<0.00). The complete HFAB was less likely to be available from an independently owned store in a town with only one grocery shop (p<0.004). The average cost of the HFAB across SW Victoria was AU$380.30 ± $25.10 (mean ± SD). There was a mean range in difference of cost of the HFAB of $36.92. In particular, high variability was found in the cost of fruits and vegetables.

Conclusions: Cost and availability of healthy food may be compromised in rural areas. Implications: Improvements in food access in rural areas could reduce the high burden of disease suffered by rural communities.

Increasing body weight and risk of limitations in activities of daily living: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This study examined the relationship between normal weight, overweight and obesity class I and II+, and the risk of disability, which is defined as impairment in activities of daily living (ADL). Systematic searching of the literature identified eight cross-sectional studies and four longitudinal studies that were comparable for meta-analysis. An additional four cross-sectional studies and one longitudinal study were included for qualitative review. Results from the meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies revealed a graded increase in the risk of ADL limitations from overweight (1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-1.08), class I obesity (1.16, 95% CI 1.11-1.21) and class II+ obesity (1.76, 95% CI 1.28-2.41), relative to normal weight. Meta-analyses of longitudinal studies revealed a similar graded relationship; however, the magnitude of this relationship was slightly greater for all body mass index categories. Qualitative analysis of studies that met the inclusion criteria but were not compatible for meta-analysis supported the pooled results. No studies identified met all of the pre-defined quality criteria, and subgroup analysis was inhibited due to insufficient comparable studies. We conclude that increasing body weight increases the risk of disability in a graded manner, but also emphasize the need for additional studies using contemporary longitudinal cohorts with large numbers of obese class III individuals, a range of ages and with measured height and weight, and incident ADL questions.

An analysis of factors influencing waste minimisation and use of recycled materials for the construction of residential buildings

Residential building construction activities, whether it is new build, repair or maintenance, consumes a large amount of natural resources. This has a negative impact on the environment in the form depleting natural resources, increasing waste production and pollution. Previous research has identified the benefits of preventing or reducing material waste, mainly in terms of the limited available space for waste disposal, and escalating costs associated with landfills, waste management and disposal and their impact on a  building company's profitability. There has however been little development internationally of innovative waste management strategies aimed at reducing the resource requirement of the construction process. The authors contend that embodied energy is a useful indicator of resource value. Using data provided by a regional high-volume residential builder in the State of Victoria, Australia, this paper identifies the various types of waste that are generated from the construction of a typical standard house. It was found that in this particular case, wasted amounts of materials were less than those found previously by others for cases in capital cities (5-10 per cent), suggesting that waste minimisation strategies are successfully being implemented. Cost and embodied energy savings from using materials with recycled content are potentially more beneficial in terms of embodied energy and resource depletion than waste minimisation strategies.

Service provision factors that affect the health and wellbeing of people living in a lower SES environment: the perspective of service providers

Inequalities in health and wellbeing within low socioeconomic (SES)  environments are well documented. Factors inherent to the health care system itself, such as inaccessible, inflexible or inappropriate seroiceprovision, contribute to the poorer health status ofresidents oflow SES areas. This paper explores the issues ofseroice provision in low SES areas, documenting the perceptions of seroice providers about the seroice needs of residents, in order to understand the systemic factors that negatively impact on health and wellbeing. A total of54 health and welfare seroice providers from two adjacent low SES suburbs within regional Victoria were interoiewed using qualitative research methods. Keyfindings indicate that successful navigation of health care seroices by residents within these low SES environments is being impeded by issues ofaccess, a lack ofappropriate early interoention options or measures, and general resident disempowerment. Central to the improvement of seroice provision is the need for seroices to become economically, geographically and culturally accessible. In particular, the importance of community involvement in health planning and health promoting seroices must be reflected in the ethos ofseroice provision.

Estimating the economic value of Mount Buffalo National Park with the travel cost and contingent valuation models

The Mount Buffalo National Park is the oldest national park in Victoria, Australia. There has been a rapid increase in the number of visitors to the park during the last decade and park management has been a concern, especially in the light of declining budgetary allocations and potential damage due to the increased visitor numbers. Policy options to increase park revenue remain unclear because of a lack of information on demand parameters and user costs. This study estimates the economic value of the park using the travel cost method (TCM) and the contingent valuation method (CVM). The TCM gives higher consumer surplus (CS) than the CVM. The CS shows that the economic value of the park is high and that there are opportunities to introduce innovative fee schemes to enhance its revenue. Present entry fee systems do not capture the economic value of the park.

Providing health services to migrants and refugees settling in Victoria, Australia: an analysis of the complexity, cost and policy implications for public health

The aim of the research was to identify factors related to the increased costs of providing health services to clients from a non-English speaking background (NESB), using a cross-sectional analysis of the administrative records of clients using community health services in the Northern Metropolitan region of Melbourne for the 2001/2002 financial year. The higher cost of providing services to NESB clients was influenced by four factors: increased consultation time, group attendance to an appointment, increased interpreting costs and the type of service provider. Family members and multilingual staff play a significant role in providing informal interpreting services or low-cost support for NESB consultants, and these activities should receive appropriate support. Additional funding is needed to support interpreting requirements when dealing with the health needs of NESB clients.

Lifecycle cost and CO2 emission comparison of conventional and rationalized bridges

The construction industry consumes a great deal of natural resources and energy in constructing, maintaining and demolishing their products such as buildings and bridges. These activities lead significant impacts on global and regional environments in addition to their economic expenses. In this research, the lifecycle cost (LCC) and lifecycle CO₂ (LCCO₂) emission of newly developed bridges, including the minimized girder, rationalized box-girder and rationalized truss bridges, are quantified and compared with those of the conventional I-girder, box-girder and truss bridges. It was found that the newly developed types of bridges have lower values in both LCC and LCCO₂ than the corresponding conventional bridges do. The effects of span lengths on LCC and LCCO₂ are studied for both conventional and rationalized bridges. The characteristics of LCC and LCCO₂ are investigated over the lifecycle of a bridge including its construction, maintenance and replacement stages.