This theme is the platform for the research projects, most of which have a strong social component, that are being undertaken in countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Bhutan, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Timor Leste. Most are large projects ($500,000 plus) that will run over a number of years and involve in-country partners. Project topics include and have included community forestry, groundwater management, agriculture and fisheries, sustainable development and ecotourism.
Past Institute Director Professor Max Finlayson has some handy hints for working on large complex projects.
Adapting to salinity in the Southern Indus Basin. Mitchell, M., Punthakey , J., Allan, C., Khan,M., Bond, J. (2021- 2023) ACIAR, $2,312,000 Project details
Assessing fisheries mitigation measures at Xayaburi Dam in Lao PDR. Baumgartner, L., McPherson, J., Ning, N. (2018-2022) ACIAR, $1.4M Project details
Delta Flows: The Role that Delta’s play in sustaining basin-scale fisheries in the Mekong and Irrawaddy Rivers. Baumgartner, L., & Vu, V.A. (PhD student) (2017-2021) IHE Delft. $30,127 Project details
Fisheries monitoring in the Mekong Basin to assess impacts of mainstream hydropower projects as part of the Mekong River Joint Environment Monitoring (JEM) Programme. Baumgartner, L. (2020-2022) Australian Water Partnership, $640,542 Project details
Goat production systems and marketing in Laos and Vietnam. Millar, J. (2019-2022) Led by University of New England. ACIAR, $165,824 Project details
Modernising irrigated agriculture to protect and restore aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem services in SE Asia. Baumgartner, L., Finlayson, M., Conallin, J. (2019-2021) Australian Water Partnership/UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (UN FAO) $484,107 Project details
Quantifying biophysical and community impacts of improved fish passage in Lao PDR and Myanmar extension. Baumgartner, L., Marsden, T., Ning, N. & Horta, A. (2018-2021) ACIAR & USAID, $800,000
Quantifying biophysical and community impacts of improved fish passage in Lao PDR and Myanmar. (2016-2021) Baumgartner, L., Ning, N., Horta, A., Conallin, J. with Thorncraft, G. (National University of Laos), Phonekhampheng, O. (National University of Laos), Singhanouvong, D. (Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre), Cooper, B. (UniSA) Marsden,T., (Australasian Fish Passage Services) Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) & USAID, $2.6M (initial funding of $1.8M plus an additional $800,000 in 2018) Project details
Translating fish passage research outcomes into policy and legislation across South East Asia. Baumgartner, L., Robinson, W., Ning, N., Conallin, J., Bond, J., Pawsey, N. (2020-2023) ACIAR, $2,867,857 Project details
Assessing fisheries mitigation measures at Xayaburi Dam in Lao PDR. Baumgartner, L. & Silva, L. (2017-2019) ACIAR, $320,000 (MOU – Xayaburi Power Company Limited)
Community reforestation for biodiversity and livelihood diversification in Timor-Leste. Millar, J. (2017-2021), UK Darwin Initiative Fund, $528,703. Project details
Diadromous fish of the Mekong: managing long distance fish migrations at mainstream dam sites. Baumgartner, L., Vu ,A. (2020) ACIAR internship, $19,000
Farm Power and Conservation Agriculture for Sustainable Intensification. Blackwell, J. & Krivokapic-Skoko, B. (2013-17) ACIAR, via CIMMY (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre), $544,000 Project details
Improving groundwater management to enhance agriculture and farming livelihoods in Pakistan. Hall, A., Punthakey, J., Allan, C., Mitchell, M., Culas, R. (2016-2021) ACIAR & CSU ($100,000), Total value of the project $2.15M Project details
Improving salinity and agricultural water management in the Indus Basin of Pakistan. Finlayson, M., Allan, C., Culas, R., Mitchell, M., Punthakey, J. (2017) ACIAR, $50,000 Project details
In search of the elusive Mekong salmon. Baumgartner, L. & Vu. V.A. (PhD student), (2016-2019), National Geographic Society Research Grant, $30,080 Project details
Living with salinity in the Indus Basin: SRA 2. Mitchell, M., Barrett-Lennard, E., Allan, C. & Punthakey, J. (2019) Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), $88,000 Project details
Sustainable Hydropower and Multipurpose Storage to meet the Water, Food and Energy SDGs. Conallin, J. (2018-2020) (Contract extension) IHE Delft 35,000 Euros. Total value 67,500 Euros Project details
Sustainable rangeland management to protect red panda and herder livelihoods, Millar, J., Finlayson, M., & Tenzing, K. (2016-2019) Darwin Initiative Fund, $540,000 Project details
Workshop for the development of a national wetland inventory for the Kingdom of Bhutan. Finlayson, M., McInnes,R., & Davidson,N. (2019) Bhutan Department of Forests and Park Services – Watershed Management Division, $27,756 Project details
Dwi Atminarso: Genetic connectivity upstream and downstream of dams. (Masters) Principal supervisor Dr Lee Baumgartner.
Phenden Gyamtsho: Community based ecotourism. Principal supervisor Associate Professor Rosemary Black
Ghulam Zakir Hassan (Zakir): Improving sustainable groundwater management: A case study of artificial recharge in Punjab, Pakistan. Principal supervisor Associate Professor Catherine Allan
Thanasak Poomchaivej: Patterns of fish migration at Xayaburi Dam on the Mekong River using the PIT (passive integrated transponder) monitoring system. Principal supervisor Dr Lee Baumgartner
Jorge Ramos: Forest mosaic rehabilitation in Timor-Leste: Does it benefit or disadvantage ecosystem services and livelihoods?Principal supervisor Dr Jen Bond
Samir Thapa: Use of Clean Development Mechanism funding to convert from woodstoves to biogas cookers in western Nepal. Principal supervisor Professor Kevin Parton
An Vi Vu: Diadromous fishes in the Lower Mekong Basin. Principal supervisor Dr Lee Baumgartner (Thesis submitted 2021)
Sangay Wangchuk: Why are villages in the eastern part of Bhutan dying, and what are some of the social and ecological implications of this trend? Principal supervisor Dr Jennifer Bond
2020
Dr Kim Nelson: Reimagining selves, liminal tourism spaces as sites for lifestyle migration. An exploration of the reflexive narratives of tourism business owners in Niseko, Japan Principal supervisor Associate Professor Rosemary Black
Dr Londari Yamarak: An investigation of the impacts of mining projects in Papua New Guinea on livelihoods and poverty in indigenous communities Principal supervisor Professor Kevin Parton
As well undertaking externally funded research projects, ILWS members (including Adjuncts) whose research interests are aligned with this theme are engaged in various other research activities/projects.
Examples of these include: