Associate Professor Bethany Cooper is an Australian Research Council (ARC) Industry Fellow (applied economist) at the University of South Australia. Bethany has been involved in a number of Goyder Institute projects over the past few years and is currently leading Task One – Quantifying the value of different water uses and future demands for the Goyder ‘Adaptation of the South-Eastern drainage system under a changing climate‘ project. We asked Bethany a few questions about her research and what her interests are.
Can you describe your project in two short sentences?
The purpose of this project was to better understand the values that accrue from water in the south east of South Australia. We looked at quantifying the range of values from water in agriculture and forestry and also established the value of water when it delivers ecological or environmental benefits.
What impact/ benefit will this research bring to the region?
The Limestone Coast Landscape Region is known for its diverse and productive agricultural sector that supports the local economy. It is also home to several regionally, nationally and internationally important wetlands.
This project established the value of water in different applications in the Limestone Coast Region. The motivation for the work was a broader project investigating the scope for managing drainage water in the region differently against a background of declining water availability and aquifer decline.
The data generated support a reconsideration of the current allocation of the resource and provide guidance to how any additional ‘new’ water could be allocated to maximise welfare.
Whereabouts in the region is the research being done.
We looked at understanding the value of water in agriculture in the Limestone Coast region and also the value of water for the wetland Bool Lagoon.
A little about you: What do you enjoy outside of work?
I enjoy travelling overseas to new places, going to SA’s beaches and gardening (although I’m still learning!). I love border collies – especially my own!
For more information visit Associate Professor Bethany Cooper, University of South Australia
Refer to Bethany’s article on Understanding the Value of Water in South Australia’s Lower Limestone Coast.
