A sustainable agricultural landscape for Australia: A review of interlacing carbon sequestration, biodiversity and salinity management in agroforestry systems

Transformation of the south-western Australian landscape from deep-rooted woody vegetation systems to shallow-rooted annual cropping systems has resulted in the severe loss of biodiversity and this loss has been exacerbated by rising ground waters that have mobilised stored salts causing extensive dry land salinity. Since the original plant communities were mostly perennial and deep rooted, the model for sustainable agriculture and landscape water management invariably includes deep rooted trees. Commercial forestry is however only economical in higher rainfall (>700 mm yr−1) areas whereas much of the area where biodiversity is threatened has lower rainfall (300–700 mm yr−1). Agroforestry may provide the opportunity to develop new agricultural landscapes that interlace ecosystem services such as carbon mitigation via carbon sequestration and biofuels, biodiversity restoration, watershed management while maintaining food production. Active markets are developing for some of these ecosystem services, however a lack of predictive metrics and the regulatory environment are impeding the adoption of several ecosystem services. Nonetheless, a clear opportunity exists for four major issues – the maintenance of food and fibre production, salinisation, biodiversity decline and climate change mitigation – to be managed at a meaningful scale and a new, sustainable agricultural landscape to be developed.

Multi-criteria analysis and the resolution of sustainable development dilemmas: a stakeholder management approach

We demonstrate that stakeholder-oriented multi-criteria analysis (MCA) can adequately address a variety of sustainable development dilemmas in decision-making, especially when applied to complex project evaluations involving multiple objectives and multiple stakeholder groups. Such evaluations are typically geared towards satisfying simultaneously private economic goals, broader social objectives and environmental targets. We show that, under specific conditions, a variety of stakeholder-oriented MCA approaches may be able to contribute substantively to the resolution or improved governance of societal conflicts and the pursuit of the public good in the form of sustainable development. We contrast the potential usefulness of these stakeholder-oriented approaches – in terms of their ability to contribute to sustainable development – with more conventional MCA approaches and social cost–benefit analysis.

Sustainable vegetable crop supply problem

We consider an agricultural production problem, in which one must meet a known demand of crops while respecting ecologically-based production constraints. The problem is twofold: in order to meet the demand, one must determine the division of the available heterogeneous arable areas in plots and, for each plot, obtain an appropriate crop rotation schedule. Rotation plans must respect ecologically-based constraints such as the interdiction of certain crop successions, and the regular insertion of fallows and green manures. We propose a linear formulation for this problem, in which each variable is associated with a crop rotation schedule. The model may include a large number of variables and it is, therefore, solved by means of a column-generation approach. We also discuss some extensions to the model, in order to incorporate additional characteristics found in field conditions. A set of computational tests using instances based on real-world data confirms the efficacy of the proposed methodology. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Categorisation of knowledge management processes in the development of sustainable enterprises

Sustainable development is a growing area of interest in organisations. Particularly those that have large energy demands for processing, use dwindling raw materials or produce a great deal of waste through production. Knowing those processes that can contribute to making an organisation more sustainable provides a great advantage both in terms of project implementation success and in measurable Triple Bottom Line returns.

In previous research we identified that many of the Information Technology processes used to assist organisations in developing sustainable practices were more clearly suited as Knowledge Management processes (Van Der Meer and Sinnappan, 2008), however less empirical study has been done to categorise them meaningfully.

In this study we have taken these Knowledge Management processes and categorised them according to the sustainable development practice where we identify they can be of service based on Waage et al (2003). Through this we are hoping to develop a framework for organisations to determine what Knowledge Management processes are needed to achieve the particular sustainable development. We may also be able to judge what steps an organisation needs to take to develop further sustainable practices in other areas.

Development of a framework for knowledge management tools in sustainable development would assist industries in determining the best processes for these sustainable projects. This framework also contributes to the body of knowledge on sustainable development and Information Technology.

Does self-management lead to sustainable health benefits in people with arthritis? A 2-year transition study of 452 Australians.

Objective: To evaluate the Arthritis Self-Management Course (ASMC) when applied in a nationwide context.

Methods: Four hundred fifty-two people who participated in the ASMC across Australian states took part in a longitudinal followup study. ASMC is a 6 week, 2 h group educational program designed to assist people with chronic illness to better manage their condition. Measures of program effectiveness included health status and service utilization. Data were collected on 3 occasions: before intervention (baseline) and 6 months and 2 years after the program.

Results: Several indicators of health status showed improvement at 6 months following the ASMC. These included reduction in pain (4%; p < 0.001), fatigue (3%; p < 0.01), and health distress (12%; p < 0.001) as well as increase in self-efficacy (6%; p < 0.001). Increased self-efficacy was a significant predictor of positive change in health status. Health-related behaviors such as aerobic exercise also increased, with the proportion of people who did little or no exercise decreasing by up to 8%. These changes were sustained at 2 years. There was an increase in use of analgesics at 6 months and an increase in use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs at 2 years. No changes in healthcare utilization (physician visits, allied health visits, and hospitalizations) were observed.

Conclusion: The ASMC is a widely applied program in which participants benefit through a reduction in pain, fatigue, and health distress. Although the absolute changes in health status are small, the low cost and wide application of the intervention suggests the program may have a substantial public health effect.

Impact of a fragmented regulatory environment on sustainable urban development design management

The building project development approval proces is increasingly complex and farught with conflict due to the rise of the sustainable urban development movement and inclusive decision making.  Coupled with this, government decision-making decentralisation has resulted in a fragmented and over-regulated compliance sytem.  Problems arising from the process include wated resources, excessive time delays, increased holding and litigation costs, inadequate planning coorindation, high lelves of advocacy costs and a divisive a politicised approval prcess.

A societal knowledge management system : harnessing indigenous wisdom to build sustainable predictors for adaptation to climate change

As the climate changes globally time-honoured climate in a region may change and shift to another region. Consequently, local predictors of climate may no longer apply to the area where they were born, but may be invaluable in new regions where previously reliable predictors have become outmoded This paper is set on the proposition thaI traditional (indigenous) know/edge can be a strategic source in adapting to climate change, in these changing times. The research reported in this paper takes the Societal Knowledge Management approach where knowledge that rests within local communities, is harnessed to inform local communities and scientists regarding climate change impacts, so as to adapt to them accurately. A phased study was conducted that aimed at acquiring, synthesising and disseminating traditional knowledge regarding change in monsoon patterns in India. Traditional wisdom prevalent among fhe myriad communities of India, was collected, collated and classified into knowledge spheres such as Bio-Indicators, Wind Movement, Atmospheric Pal/ems, Astrological Methods, Festivals and Rituals, Direction, Characteristics of the Rain, Characteristics of Celestial Bodies etc and incorporaled into a knowledge portal, which is the basis for building the Societal Knowledge Management System (SKM). Subsequently, the SKM is to be harmonised with scientific predictors on seasonal weather patterns will allow researchers to identify if the existing indicators and monsoon pattems are subject to change, and if so how. Research in progress is aimed at integrating the knowledge with modern science and disseminating this knowledge through local knowledge centres, at village levels. Furthermore, this study is to be replicated in Australia, by harnessing indigenous knowledge, to build the SKM for Australia that could assist in building a better understanding of the factors that impact the environment, methods of building sustainable predictors for climate and approaches for adapting the climate changes. The research reported is expected to inform policy makers, scientists, governance institutions as well as researchers regarding the applicability of indigenous knowledge in building sustainable predictors for adaptation to climate change in the two countries cited and can be extended into other countries.

Women in ICT project management and society : snapshot of a decade and a conduit for sustainable progress

In the past decade, the power of pervasive Internet has permeated global businesses, as the world became interconnected. During this momentous decade, the proportion of women working in the information communication technology (ICT) industry as project managers increased, triggered by the opportunities presented by this brave new networked world. This trend posed new complexities in organizations and resulted in some significant changes in the societal composition. This paper provides a snapshot of the progress of women project managers in the ICT sector over the past decade, their challenges and the approach of some businesses to address these, leveraging on opportunities presented by emerging or evolving technologies. The research reported in this paper synthesizes literature reviews, previous research and a cross-sectional global survey that was conducted in 2010, within ICT sector that sought perceptions of women who work in the ICT sector regarding the constructive role of organizations and ICTs in their progress over the decade.

Sustainable management of real estate : is it really sustainability?

This paper investigates from a management perspective exactly what building owners and managers of commercial real estate are actually doing in the guise of sustainability. This research investigates key owners of real estate portfolios in Australia and New Zealand, and examines what they perceive sustainability to mean to their commercial real estate portfolios and their level of implementation. The research uses a qualitative framework in order to gain an understanding of owners’ perceptions of sustainability. The findings reveal that owners perceive sustainability to be very important to the longevity of their portfolios. However, at present, sustainability factors are limited to resource efficiency measures in their real estate portfolios. Consequently, this research questions whether current interpretation and implementation of sustainability in commercial real estate is merely ‘changing the name’ of best practice management to ‘sustainability.’