Cost-effective strategies to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus emissions in an urban catchment

Emissions of nutrients from non-point sources such as gardens, agriculture, public open space, sports fields and septic tanks pose an ongoing threat to the ecological health of Western Australia’s Swan Canning river system, a system with high recreational and ecological value to the Perth community. 

Due to the nature and diversity of diffuse sources, actions to reduce or mititage emissions from non-point sources are generally broad or act indirectly on the source(s).  These include existing programs such as education of households, soil amendment, removal of septic tanks and investment in constructed wetlands, as well as more radical changes such as banning standard fertilisers.  There is a desire to consider the effectiveness of each of these actions in reducing nutrients within a catchment, to better inform allocation of scarce resources. 

This presentation will describe the findings of an economic analysis of a catchment-wide approach to reducing nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the Swan-Canning river system.  It considers policy and management actions needed for achieving reduction targets. 

Presenters include:

• Associate Professor Ben White, School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia
• Maksym Polyakov, Research Fellow, School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia 

COST – FREE