Rocky relocation drives Reef rescue research
He grew up a world away from the Great Barrier Reef, but CQUniversity PhD candidate Praseed Thapa has pivoted his work and life, in a bid to help protect the Australian natural wonder.
The Nepali agricultural economist moved to Rockhampton in 2023, to lead research into land management practices in Great Barrier Reef catchments.
While state and federal governments have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in recent decades to shift farming practices and reduce land-based pollutants (such as sediments, pesticides, and nutrients) going into the Reef, Praseed said that the rate of improvement has been slow.
“The Australian Government has a target to have 90 per cent of priority land in Reef catchments covered by improved land management practices by 2050, but for instance the current rate is only 36.2 per cent for grazing land, and 12.7 per cent for sugarcane,” he said.
“That’s having an impact in the Reef lagoon, where targets for reducing sediments and dissolved nutrient loads are also well behind.”
Praseed’s research is investigating what drives adoption of better management practices and how adoption rates can be improved to improve water quality of GBR.
“The opportunities to improve practices are often subsidised by government, with the aim of reducing off farm emissions” he said.
“But ultimately, land management experts are telling us that change initiatives have to be localised, rather than a top-down approach.
“We need more local ‘change agents’ who are trusted in those farming communities, and who can influence the change.”
“Findings from our study will help to identify which adoption drivers are crucial for farmers’ decision-making, and hopefully influence future policy for protecting the Reef.”
It’s an issue that’s close to his heart, coming from a crop-growing community in regional Nepal.
“Where I grew up, I think of rivers where we used to go fishing as a child – and impacts from rapid urbanisation, industry and farming mean now they are polluted, some species of fish have gone, they can’t be brought back,” he explained.
Praseed doesn’t want to see the same fate for the Reef, a natural wonder he’s heard about since childhood.
Now living in Rockhampton, he’s enjoying exploring the coast with his family, and sharing his passion for protecting it.
“For the Great Barrier Reef, it’s such a beautiful, important part of Australia’s environment, and we really need to act now to prevent further impacts from agriculture, before it’s too late.”
Praseed’s PhD research is supported by the International Excellence Award at CQUniversity, and an Australian Research Council Discovery Project, and his supervisors are CQU economist Professor John Rolfe and Dr Megan Star.
Professor Rolfe said GBR catchment areas produce $6 billion in food crops every year, and finding sustainable ways to continue production was vital.
“We know farmers in these areas value the Reef and are willing to shift practices when they can see the benefits,” he said. “The focus of this research is to find win-win solutions, as management practices that keep fertilizer and soil on farms are good for both farmers and the reef”.
“Praseed’s work is valuable for understanding the motivations behind the choices that farmers make about their management practices and how they mesh with their way of life and views about agriculture.”
Read their research published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin.
