Research Grants

Just Transitions to a Net Zero World (JusTN0W)

Total Grant: GBP 5,000,000

JusTN0W initiative aims to develop a world-leading interdisciplinary work programme, to research sustainable and just solutions for accelerated decarbonisation of economies, and to achieve lasting societal well-being for the present and future generations. JusTN0W ties in experts from Durham Law School, the Department of Computer Science, the Department of Economics, and the Department of Biosciences. For more information, click here

Financing Climate Action in Africa

Total Grant: GBP 243,000

Our team (Curtin University, Durham University and Asian Disaster Preparedness Center) is successful in its submission to design and deliver a short course on ‘Financing Climate Action in Africa’ as part of the Australia Awards Africa Program. This initiative aims to contribute to the long-term development needs of Australia's partner countries, in accordance with global, bilateral, and regional agreements. In particular, this course, tailored for 25 mid to high-level government officials from various African countries, aims to equip participants with the necessary skills to navigate climate-related finance for sustainable development and foster low-carbon economies. For more information, click here

Social Innovation Through Technology Nudging: Developing a Behavioural Toolkit for Diffusing Solar Irrigation

Total Grant: US$ 100,000

This proposed project is a scale-up of the Innovation for Climate Adaptation and Resilience project conducted in 2021-2022 (titled, Innovating Nonmonetary Interventions for Climate-smart Agriculture: An ADOPT Model for Technology Diffusion). Inspired by the ‘Nudge theory’, The ADOPT Model pilot project in Bangladesh introduced an innovative behavioural instrument to induce low-carbon climate-smart agricultural (CSA) technology adoption; and popularized a nonmonetary approach to making climate-smart village by scaling up its adoption. This project recruited 2800 farming households (1400 solar and 1400 non-solar irrigation-using farmers) for a field survey in 28 districts with solar irrigation networks in Bangladesh. This field survey and data analysis followed the methodological approach of a natural experiment. To test the ADOPT model, its four nudging components (Advocacy, Demonstration, Omitting misinformation, and Peer pressure) are compared for solar irrigation adopters and non-adopters. This process-based solution has been used by Curtin University, Australia, and its research consortium including the Ministry of Agriculture in Bangladesh. The findings suggest that ADOPT components both exclusively and inclusively increase the likelihood of solar irrigation adoption. This proposed project will ensure the process of increasing the size, scope, or impact of the ADOPT model. It involves transitioning the successful testing of the ADOPT’s nudging components (Advocacy, Demonstration, Omitting misinformation, and Peer pressure) from a pilot innovation phase to a larger implementation and field experimental phase. This involves expanding the project's reach developing ADOPT training manual or behavioural toolkit, focusing on non-CSA adopters, and replicating the project in new locations. This will allow the successful preparation of the ADOPT training manual and its interventions to have a broader and more significant impact. For more information, click here

Building the Ecosystem to Support Carbon Market Establishment, 2023

Total Grant: AU$ 213,797

To fulfil Australia’s commitments towards implementing the Paris Agreement by facilitating knowledge transfer and development, Curtin University has designed and delivered the Australia Awards Short Course (AASC) on “Building the Ecosystem to Support Carbon Market Establishment” for the Vietnamese participants under the Aus4Skills program. The aim of this short course is to share Australia’s knowledge of market-based instruments for climate change mitigation and contribute to whole-of-government engagement on international voluntary carbon markets. For more information, click here

The Design and Delivery of an Australian Awards Short Course in Carbon Market Operation and Cooperative Mechanisms Under the Paris Agreement, 2022

Total Grant: AU$ 641,528

This project proposes the design and delivery of a short course on carbon market operation and cooperative mechanisms under the Paris Agreement. In this project, broadly five modules are designed and they cover eight modules of courses aiming at six learning outcomes. The focus of the course contents has been given to understanding the mechanism of carbon markets at national and cross-border levels. The contents also highlight the roles of various stakeholders in mitigating carbon emissions and promoting sustainable technologies. The learning process involves participatory discussions, classroom activities, site visits, and assessment tasks. For more information, click here

Developing a Framework for Facilitating Nationally Determined Contributions for Paris Commitments in the Indo-Pacific Countries, 2021-2023

Total Grant: AU$ 487,230

This project will establish regional forums in Asia (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) and the Pacific (the PACER+ countries such as Samoa, Kiribati, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Tuvalu and Vanuatu). These forums are intended to support the participating countries in three ways: 1) visualising climate change impacts across various economic sectors; 2) innovating market-based climate change solutions; and 3) sharing best practices for the implementation of country-specific Paris commitments. The project will organise a series of national-level meetings and regional consultative workshops to develop a framework for DFAT to facilitate Australian support for the scaling up of Indo-Pacific countries' efforts to implement their NDCs. For more information, click here

Innovating Non-monetary Interventions for Climate-smart Agriculture: An ADOPT Model for Technology Diffusion

Total Grant: AU$ 209,000

This project will propose an innovative nonmonetary solution to motivate farmers in adopting “solar irrigation” technology, which is built on the celebrated nudge theory in Economics. We need to instil new norms in communities so that people will replace their carbon-emitting machinery with climate-smart technologies. However, enforcing such new norms in societies are quite challenging. Even monetary measures—e.g., subsidising solar irrigation—often do not entice people to adopt new technologies. Hence, this consortium has devised an ADOPT model of incentivising farmers in adopting climate-smart technologies in the irrigation system. The ADOPT stands for “Advocating available climate-smart technologies, Demonstrating the most appropriate technology, Omitting misinformation about climate-smart technology, and Putting peer pressure for Technology adoption” in agriculture. This project intends to identify nonmonetary factors that will motivate the solar irrigation adopters in Bangladesh through conducting experimental surveys. By doing so, we will conduct a survey of 2,800 (1,400 solar users and 1,400 non-solar users) farming households in the vicinity of 56 solar irrigation pumps in 28 districts of Bangladesh. For more information, click here

Estimating the Impact of Free Parking Arrangements on Local Economic Activity: Evidence from the Town of Victoria Park

Total Grant: AU$ 13,900

Parking infrastructure in urban growth centres (e.g., cities and towns) facilitates the engine of local business activity. Paul Krugman, the winner of the 2008 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, argued that an efficient transportation system reduces transportation and trade costs, creates productivity of business activity at an increasing rate, and eventually triggers agglomeration (see Krugman, 1991). This argument holds local government bodies responsible to design parking management systems for boosting the productivity of local communities rather than maximising its revenues from parking fees. The provision of free parking can be an effective measure to reduce transaction costs that can help businesses grow. The aim of this research is to measure the effectiveness of the enhanced free parking arrangements of the Town of Victoria Park in boosting local business activity. Overall, the project intends to provide a piece of evidence-based “policy brief” on optimising the parking management system during the Christmas period for the ToVP. For more information, click here

An Inquiry into the Integration of Sustainable Development Goal 13 in the Curricula of ABDC Member Business Schools

Total Grant: AU$ 19,200

Climate change is arguably a pivotal challenge in the twenty-first century, and one which can be addressed through better informing our future human capital. Our future workforce plays a critical role in shaping state-of-the-art sustainable business practices. The proposed research will facilitate “An Inquiry into the Integration of Sustainable Development Goal 13 in the Curricula of ABDC Member Business Schools”. The project delves into the best practices for aligning business school curriculum to sustainable development goal (SDG) 13 to educate students on the role of business in the mitigation and adaptation to climate change. This research conducts two surveys: 1) A Staff Perceptions Survey consisting of a series of structured Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), with the focal points of the selected 27 ABDC business schools; and 2) A Students’ Values Survey identifying student attitudes to climate change inclusive curriculum in business education. The survey results will be compiled and presented at the PRME Nov 2021 conference (see Figure 1 outlining the project implementation plan). Finally, an Inquiry Report will be produced that will provide a situation analysis of how ABDC member business schools are incorporating Sustainable Development Goal 13 in curriculum, and propose best practices for ABDC member business schools. This project facilitates further developing climate-inclusive curriculum that will produce a committed new generation of sustainable business professionals endeavouring to successful transitions to a low carbon economy. For more information, click here

The new normal: Has Covid-19 changed patterns of dwelling demand and supply?

Total Grant: AU$ 162,179

The pandemic showed just how quickly demand for housing can change and how prices and rents can rise rapidly as a result. The COVID-19 period, defined as mid-2020 to mid-2022 for the purposes of this study, saw robust price growth within Australian capital cities and even stronger growth in regional areas. In the rental market, vacancy rates fell across the country and rents rose sharply. The research reiterates that increases in housing supply need to be carefully managed by governments, including the supply of social and affordable housing in regional areas. For more information, click here

Rural Women Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, 2019-2021.

Total Grant: AU$ 287,205

Women’s equality and empowerment is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but also integral to all dimensions of inclusive and sustainable development. The social and structural hindrances faced by women limit their economic participation, denying the communities from enjoying greater inclusive socioeconomic growth. Globally, there are 4.4 million more women than men living in poverty due to unequal access to and control over economic resources, leading to the persistence of gender inequalities in the labour market in terms of occupational segregation and gender pay gaps (United Nations Women, 2018). Entrepreneurship is known to be a key mechanism to redress this inequality and the associated impediments to inclusive and sustainable development. This project evaluates the effectiveness of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial training in empowering rural women in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. For more information, click here

Developing Climate Inclusive Potential Loss and Damage Assessment Method for Floods, funded by the Asia-Pacific Network (APN) for Global Change Research, Japan, 2015-2017.

Total Grant: AU$ 190,000

A growing strand of literature indicates that climate change results in natural disasters—such as floods—more frequently with stronger intensities. In particular, such extreme events have been more intense and frequent in most of the Asian countries in recent decades creating detrimental effects not only on the ecosystem but also on livelihood. Therefore estimation of loss and damage due to impending flood event is of an utmost importance to take proactive measures for minimizing flood disaster risks through climate smart disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) interventions. With the financial assistance of Asia-Pacific Network (APN) for Global Change Research, Deakin University in collaboration with Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (Thailand), Department of Meteorology (Sri Lanka) and Small Earth Nepal (Nepal) has been implementing a project on “Developing climate inclusive potential loss and damage assessment methodology for flood hazards” in Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand respectively. The objectives of this project are threefold: first, to develop a climate inclusive flood hazard risk assessment method for the targeted areas; second, to develop an economic method for estimating loss and damage in agricultural sector; and finally, to develop guidebooks for policymakers through several science-based DRR and CCA interventions. For more information, click here

Pre-disaster Multi-hazard Damage and Economic Loss Estimation Model: Phase I (joint with University of Melbourne), funded by the Bushfire and Natural Hazard Cooperative Research Centre (BNH CRC), Australian Government, 2014-2016.

Total Grant: AU$ 525,000

History portrays numerous natural disasters that not only reshaped topographical settings but also realigned the economic structures of many countries, including Australia. Over a series of catastrophic events, the emergency response system of Australia has proven to be very effective at saving human lives, but the mitigation and preparedness phases in disaster risk management cycle appears to be ineffective in averting the adverse economic impacts of natural disasters. Recognising such disturbing facts, this project aims to achieve a paradigm shift from reactive response to a proactive risk reduction culture through developing a method that will estimate the potential economic damage and losses of natural disasters. In particular, on the one hand, at the national level it investigates the economic impact of natural disasters on sectoral economic growth of the Australia. On the other hand, at the state level, it assesses the multi-hazard risks, and estimate the potential damages and economic losses. Finally, this project identifies the optimum economic policy option to minimise such adverse effects of natural disasters. For more information, click here

Evaluating the Impact of “Managing Risks through Economic Development (M-RED)” Programme in Nepal and Timor-Leste, funded by the Mercy Corps, USA, 2013-2014.

Total Grant: AU$ 100,000

With the financial assistance of Margaret A. Cargill Foundation, the Mercy Corps (MC) is commencing implementation of an innovative 3-year program titled the “Managing Risks through Economic Development (M-RED)” in Nepal and Timor-Leste. This programme targets to develop an effective and sustainable model for disaster risk reduction (DDR) in vulnerable communities of Nepal and Timor-Leste, providing 35,000 households with a more sustainable approach that links DRR to economic security. Traditional approaches to DRR have proven effective at saving lives, but are less effective at mitigating economic impact of disasters and are rarely tied to strategies to build economic security and increase incomes. M-RED will attempt to build a model that addresses risk reduction together with economic development to promote economic security. In this context, the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) proposes a research evaluation team, led by Dr. Muhammad Habibur Rahman, which will provide technical support to conduct an evaluation of M-RED program. Given the innovative nature of the program, the research evaluation team sets a Quasi-experimental design to draw out the causal impact of M-RED programme. Overall, this developmental evaluation strategy is largely formative and utilization-focused to maximise the positive impact of M-RED programme. For more information, click here

Integrating Natural Disasters in Economic Modelling: Phase I and II, funded by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway, 2010-2013.

Total Grant: AU$ 25,000

Natural disasters cause severe damage and losses that lead to structural changes in the development trajectories of countries. One of the problems observed in this connection is the lack of knowledge about the economic impact of natural hazards prior to the occurrence of events due to the unavailability of potential scenarios of natural disasters. A reliable forecasting mechanism on the potential impacts of natural disasters on the aspects of both short-run and long-run economic consequences would help countries in designing structural as well as non-structural measures; in particular, risk transfer mechanisms in addressing the needs as a proactive approach. Hence the most important factor is to assess the damages and losses proactively and plan the development program in such a way that the vulnerability as well as the risk is reduced or eliminated.

As an effort in mainstreaming disaster risk reduction measures into the economic development process, the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) in partnership with Centre for Economic and Public Policy (CEPP), Deakin University Australia, with the financial assistance of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), has taken up a research initiative to develop a pre-disaster loss estimation method in order to not only quantify the potential losses in various economic sectors, but also prescribe optimal policy mix for ensuring effective reallocation of available resources in the economy. For more information, click here

Nepal Hazard Risk Assessment through Economic Loss Probability Modelling, funded by Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the World Bank, 2009-2010.

Total Grant: AU$ 200,000

With the financial assistance of the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) of the World Bank, this project aims to conduct "Nepal Hazard Risk Assessment". In particular, the scope of this project includes collecting and analyzing existing data and reports of historical losses due to catastrophic events in Nepal, mapping the natural hazard risks for Nepal, detailing exposure to droughts, floods, landslides, earthquakes and other hazards, analyzing and quantifying the projected losses in absence of mitigation investments, and finally, identifying possible information gaps and outlining the need for further analytical work to develop a comprehensive quantitative risk assessment for Nepal. For more information, click here

Identifying the Coping Strategies of the Sidr Ravaged Households in Bangladesh, funded by Social Science Research Council, Ministry of Planning, Government of Bangladesh, 2009.

Total Grant: AU$ 1,000

Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated countries in the world, has been a land of disasters such as floods, cyclones, flash-floods, riverbank erosion, droughts, tornadoes etc. mainly due to its geographical setting and geophysical features. Situated on the tropic of Cancer and in the funnel to the North of the conically-shaped Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh is vulnerable to the frequent assaults of disasters, especially the cyclonic storms often accompanied by tidal surge in 19 Districts located along 710-kilometer long coastal belt. Recently, the super cyclone Sidr was one of the most powerful cyclones that hit Bangladesh; approximately 3,400 people were perished, 55,000 were injured, 140,000 people were affected, and assets of billions of dollars were washed away instantaneously. The have nots are hit the hardest, who suffer huge losses of human, physical and financial resources. Thus these people continue to live in the cycle of poverty. This proposed research aimed to investigate on the most effective coping strategies of households ensuing the Sidr shock. This proposed project attracted a competitive research grant from the Bangladesh Social Science Research Council, Government of Bangladesh.

School Disaster Preparedness Plan & School Safety Simulation Exercises, 2009. DIPECHO through Islamic Relief UK, 2009.

Total Grant: AU$ 6,500

The school children, women, girls and people with special needs are highly vulnerable with natural disasters in societies where hazards and vulnerabilities of the people are at high level. Community awareness, education, technical knowledge about the DRR and participation of all segments in the DRR interventions can lead to reduce the effects and impacts of the natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes. There is need to educate and develop coping mechanism for the community groups and civil society organizations for enhancing the capacities of the most vulnerable segments of the society. Recognising the fact that community volunteers/activists, religious leaders, teachers, students and other mutual interest groups and individuals can play a very important role in reducing disaster risks, this project extends support to the Islamic Relief UK for strengthening capacity building and provision of the technical knowledge of its country staff based in Bangladesh.

Formulating the 'National Earthquake Contingency Plan' of Bangladesh, funded by the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management, Government of Bangladesh, 2008-2009.

Total Grant: AU$ 110,000

The Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) of the Government of Bangladesh is implemented by the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (MoFDM), and is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UK Department for International Development-Bangladesh (DFID-B) and the European Commission (EC). CDMP is designed to strengthen the Bangladesh Disaster Management system, and more specifically, to achieve the paradigm shift from reactive response to a proactive risk reduction culture. CDMP seeks to raise the capacities of at-risk communities while lowering their vulnerability to specific hazards as well as to serve as a good risk management model for the region. In this context, CDMP funds the Asian Disaster Preparedness center (ADPC) to provide technical assistance and services for developing the "National Earthquake Contingency Plan" of Bangladesh.

Formulating the 'City Level Earthquake Contingency Plan' for Three Major Cities of Bangladesh, funded by the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management, Government of Bangladesh, 2008-2009.

Total Grant: AU$ 60,000

Developing a Training Course on Earthquake Contingency Planning for the Managers of Lifelines and Utilities Providers, funded by the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management, Government of Bangladesh, 2008.

Total Grant: AU$ 25,000

A comprehensive approach of implementing priority actions on policy formulation, risk evaluation, risk reduction, capacity development and preparedness for effective emergency response can lead to a sustainable process towards safer lifelines and facilities and ultimately to the society. In the case of developing countries where old and weak infrastructures are dominant, it may not be practical to assume that all the infrastructures be retrofitted within a short period of time. In this situation, preparation of proper contingency plan, covering the prioritization of critical components for retrofitting, early recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation at national, city and agency level is the most feasible way to get prepared for the worst. With the financial assistance of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Program (CDMP), the Asian Disaster preparedness Centre (ADPC) along with National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal (NSET) develops a training course that support preparing the contingency plan of main lifelines and utilities providers in Bangladesh. This training course brings together the managers of different lifelines facilities and work together to make practical steps toward preparing each participant’s home institution to prepare contingency plan.