Dr Stuart Whitten specialises in the design and implementation of market-based instruments (MBIs) and other incentives to support natural resource management outcomes.
Current activities
Dr Whitten is currently working on:
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designing auctions with outcome bonuses - an application for ground nesting birds in the Murray Catchment, NSW
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eco-entrepreneurs - tools to enable non-government organisations to use MBIs to create conservation markets in Australia
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achieving coordinated landscape scale outcomes with auction mechanisms (led by Dr Andrew Reeson).
His expertise includes environmental and resource economics with specialisation in:
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market-based instruments
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incentive design and implementation
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institutional design and analysis
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environmental valuation
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project management
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research and reporting for complex multi-disciplinary and multiple stakeholder research projects.
Background
Dr Whitten joined CSIRO in 2002 as Leader of the Markets for Ecosystem Services project.
He has since led the development of a small team specialising in the design, implementation and support of natural resource management including:
He has led a number of other CSIRO projects including:
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the Markets for Ecosystem Services project focusing on investigating, designing and facilitating the implementation of MBIs at the regional scale across Australia
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the Tradeable Recharge Credits project in Coleambally Irrigation Area, which examined the potential for a market to manage salinity impacts of irrigated agriculture
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the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority Catchment Tender design and implementation plan, which successfully achieved over 700 ha of reafforestation to reduce salt movement into the Wimmera River
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collaborations with the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre to investigate the design and implementation of appropriate incentives to support biodiversity conservation across Australia’s rangelands
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the design of an innovative tender to enhance conservation of ground-nesting bird habitat with Murray Catchment Management Authority
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the design of MBIs to achieve coordinated landscape outcomes such as corridors (led by Dr Andrew Reeson)
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the design and implementation of a best practice incentive design for the Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage (now Environment and Water Resources)
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the delivery of experimental economics capacity within CSIRO.
The success of the Markets for Ecosystem Services project has resulted in CSIRO engagement in a number of MBI support roles including:
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evaluation of MBI performance
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specialist input to the Offset Pools component of the NSW Native Vegetation Assistance Package
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strategic advice on MBI design and implementation.
Dr Whitten has broad-based experience in environmental valuation and policy design.
Prior to CSIRO employment Dr Whitten was the primary researcher for the Private and Social Values of Wetlands project at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
This project focused on estimation of the values generated by wetlands to private land owners and the wider community and the costs of changing wetland management to improve conservation outcomes.
He also has substantial utility experience with ACTEW Corporation, in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), where he was responsible for preparing pricing submissions and demand modelling of water supply and sewage treatment in the ACT.
Academic qualifications
Dr Whitten has been awarded a:
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Bachelor of Agricultural Economics from the University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
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Masters of Philosophy in Economics from Cambridge University, England
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Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Economics from The University of New South Wales.
Achievements
Dr Whitten's achievements include:
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Visiting Fellow, The University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), 2003-06
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CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems ‘Leadership’ Award, 2005
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Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, ‘Travelling North’ Fellowship, 2004
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Land and Water Australia Travel Fellowship, 2000
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Political Economy Research Center, Bozeman, Montana, USA, Graduate Fellowship, Summer, 2000
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Commonwealth Scholarship and BTR/FCO Scholarship (honorary) University of Cambridge, 1994-95
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University Medal and seven academic awards from the University of New England, 1990-93.
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