Dr Jeff Connor: evaluating economics of mitigating River Murray salinity

Dr Jeff Connor, an ecological economist and environmental policy analyst, is evaluating the economics of mitigating River Murray salinity.

• 9 November 2009 | Updated 14 October 2011

Overview

• Current activities
• Background
• Academic qualifications
• Achievements

Current activities

Dr Connor helps natural resource managers understand the cost-benefits of policy and investment strategies to improve environmental, economic and social benefits. 

Dr Connor is the Group leader for Natural Resource Economics and leads a stream in the Water for a Healthy Country Flagship known as Water Policy Options Assessment.

Dr Connor’s recent research activities include:

• integrated hydrologic economic assessment of irrigation sector vulnerability to climate induced water scarcity
• evaluation of the economics of policy options for market acquisition of water for the environment
• evaluation of adaption and structural adjustment for an irrigation sector facing reduced water supply .

In 2009/10 Dr Connor is leading the strategic efforts in the Water for a Healthy Country Flagship to assess multiple costs, benefits and tradeoffs involved in setting new water sharing plans for the Murray Darling Basin. 

This involves:

• hydrology scenario analysis
• assessments of irrigation adaption
• urban water supply augmentation economics
• economic valuation of non consumptive ecosystem service values associated with improved environmental flows.

Integration of hydrology and multiple sector water economics will be applied to identify strategic opportunities to enhance social benefit of adaption to reduced and more variable water supplies.

Background

Before joining CSIRO, Dr Connor worked at Oregon State University and Willamette Universities (in Oregon USA) lecturing in economics, statistics and farm management. 

He conducted research in the area of the economics of irrigation, water quality, water markets and pesticide policies and supporting farm management extension programs with farm planning tool development.

Academic qualifications

Dr Connor completed his graduate studies and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and German at the University of South Carolina in 1984, and a Masters of Science in Agricultural and Resource Economics at Oregon State University in 1987.

He was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural and Resource Economics at Oregon State University in 1996.

Achievements

Dr Connor has received:

• an Outstanding Extension Program in Agricultural Economics Award, Western agricultural Economic Association, May 2000
• a Fulbright Fellowship for Study at Universitaet Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany, 1988-89. 

Learn more about CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems.