Integrating Biophysical and Economic Data to Support Water Allocations in the Murray Basin, Australia

Economic analysis of policies aimed at sustainable use and management of natural resources requires information about the biophysical and economic aspects of alternative options. Since these biophysical and economic aspects are inter-related and inter-dependent, it is essential that these data are integrated. However, existing biophysical and economic monitoring networks and studies tend to observe, collect and report biophysical and economic data at different scales. Consequently, much of these data are spatially incompatible and require significant effort in manipulating and scaling for a comprehensive economic analysis. In the current study, the key steps in overcoming spatial incompatibilities between biophysical and economic data in an integrated model to examine the impacts of climate change scenarios and water resources management policies in the Murray Basin of Australia are presented.