The Fifth Stage in Water Management: Policy Lessons for Water Governance

Effective management of water resources is a critical policy issue globally. Using a framework developed by Turton, and a common set of characteristics describing key stages of water demand, we examine the effectiveness of isolated technical (e.g. irrigation upgrades) and allocative (e.g. buyback) efficiency for reducing water demand to sustainable levels. We base our analysis on Australia's water reform context which offers an advanced example of applying these levers to achieve allocative and technical efficiency. The study is motivated by appreciation of the benefits from increased policy flexibility and adaptability in response to: potential transformations toward inflexible production systems; uncertainty associated with impacts of climate change on future water reliability; and the need for increased possible future equity between uses/users (productive/consumptive, environmental, cultural). Our results highlight risk issues that rarely feature in current policy assurance reviews or performance assessments, and enables a clearer representation of uncertainty in future policy choices in many global settings with respect to water demand reduction.A. Loch, D. Adamson, N.P. Dumbrel

The adequacy of Victoria's protected areas for conserving its forest-dependent fauna

Networks of protected areas are a key component of efforts to conserve biodiversity. However, there are concerns about an uncritical focus on the percentage area of reserves without an assessment of how well formal reserves are actually protecting biodiversity. We completed a spatial analysis of the formal reserve system in the Australian state of Victoria. We quantified how well the reserve system captured a crude surrogate for vegetation communities (viz: Ecological Vegetation Classes) as well as distribution models for an array of threatened forest-dependent species. We found evidence of a high degree of overlap between areas subject to intensive forestry (clearcutting) operations and the modelled distribution of a suite of forest dependent species. A key outcome of our study was that areas around sites subject to past logging as well as new areas proposed for logging under the Timber Release Plan in Victoria had significantly higher values for threatened forest dependent species (as determined by habitat distribution models) than areas that had not been logged. We found significant differences in the spatial characteristics of the dedicated reserve systems and informal protected area networks, with the latter featuring much of its area close to a tenure boundary where logging occurs. Our empirical analyses demonstrating the impacts of ongoing logging operations on areas with high environmental suitability for threatened species has important implications. In particular, the current reserve system is inadequate for a suite of forest-dependent taxa, including Critically Endangered Leadbeater’s Possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri) and the vulnerable Greater Glider (Petauroides volans). This suggests a high degree of conflict between areas of high value for conservation and areas targeted for wood production.Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Progra

STUDY THE FIBROSIS AND HYPERTROPHY OF LIGAMENTUM FLAVUM IN LUMBAR SPINAL CANAL STENOSIS DUE TO LEPTIN INDUCED INFLAMMATIO

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is defined as the narrowing of the spinal canal with cord or nerve root impingement and as consequences the symptoms of radiculopathy or pseudoclaudication are developed. Hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum (LF) is often involved in the pathogenesis of LSS, resulting in the reduction of diameter of the spinal canal and compression of the dural sac and nerve roots.Leptin's important role in various biological functions further than appetite regulation and energy metabolism.Interestingly collective evidence suggests it has a critical role in the fibrosis process in multiple organ systems, including the liver, kidney, and lung. The aim of this study was to establish a relationship between serum leptin levels and the fibrosis and hypertrophy of ligamentum flavum in lumbar spinal canal stenosis. METHOD: Our study include 100 patient with ligamentum flavum hypertrophy with lumbar canal stenosis to evaluate co-relation with increased serum leptin levels. Demographic data, clinical, radiological and laboratory investigation done to find a co-relation between increased serum leptins levels with the fibrosis and hypertrophy of ligamentum flavum in lumbar canal stenosis.RESULT:In our study,LF thickness was also measured with a T1weighted axial MRI.The mean thickness in the high vas scores (&gt; 5) group was signicantly thicker than that in the low vas (&lt; 5) group. Serum leptin values were positively correlated to LF Thickness at L4-L5 (r=0.228) and L5-S1 (r=0.198) level and the correlation was significant (p&gt;0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study has shown strong correlation between serum levels of leptin and hypertrophy of ligamentum flavum.VAS score in low VAS group (&lt; 5) as well as high VAS score group (&gt; 5) are positively correlated with serum levels of leptin</jats:p