Online forum: Paying the Price - using economics for bushfire management
Studies into economics indicate that economic evaluation is a useful tool for bushfire management, but is currently under-utilised within agencies. A number of key actions have been identified to increase the use of economic evaluation methods. These include increasing economic expertise amongst bushfire management and policy professionals, and designing economic evaluation that connects to the broader social and political context of bushfire management decision-making.
Case Studies of integrated assessment of fire risk management strategies in New Zealand’s Central Otago region and South Australia’s Mount Lofty Ranges provide insights into the question of which fire-prevention strategies provide the best value for money. A decision framework has been developed to provide an integrated assessment of the benefits and costs of fire risk management strategies. The study highlighted which fire risk management strategies (including prescribed burning) are likely to produce the highest benefit per dollar spent. The research demonstrates that the methodology works and can provide valuable decision-making inputs to fire management programs.
Presenters in this forum are Prof Stephen Dovers, Prof David Pannell, and Lead End User Andrew Stark.
For more information, visit the Bushfire CRC Research to Drive Change webpage: http://www.bushfirecrc.com/drivechange