Cross-Continental Climate Smart and Erosion Resilient Land Management for Agricultural Sustainability in Australia and India

Project description

Soil erosion is a significant global challenge affecting agriculture because of rainfall-runoff induced losses of fertile soil. Climate change is expected to impact soil erosion in several ways, with the most direct and perhaps most significant impacts arising from changes in rainfall intensity and intensification of extreme rainfall.

Using two case studies with sub-tropical climates (one from Australia and India, respectively), this project aims to:
1) improve understanding of respective soil erosion risks and their agricultural implications;
2) assess alternative adaptation strategies that have the potential to advance climate-smart agriculture and sustainable land management.

Project methods:
This will be desk-top research that relies on existing freely available data sets and models. It will utilise CMIP6 climate projections and downscaling and bias correction methods to derive applicable future climate data. It will use land system models to explore future soil erosion rates and implications for agricultural sustainability. These models will be validated and used to make future projections in case study regions in sub-tropical India and Australia under baseline, climate change, and land management scenarios. Uncertainty analysis will be used to evaluate uncertainty and associated risk.
The use of dual case study regions will allow a comparison of climate downscaling and erosion models that suit available data sets, how physical and economic context affects erosion risk, and the applicability of climate-resilient management options.

Outcomes

1. High spatial-temporal resolution extreme rainfall and temperature data sets.
2. A validated modeling framework to quantify the impact of changing extreme rainfall and temperature regimes on soil erosion risk and agricultural productivity.
3. Recommendations for context-specific land management practices.
4. Soil vulnerability maps and optimal adaptation measures under changing climate scenarios for policy interventions.
5. Two or more journal publications.
6. A PhD graduate who is a leading scientist on climate extremes and erosion with a cross-continental outlook.
7. Establishment of a new ongoing collaboration between the UQ and IITD on future climate extremes.

Essential capabilities

A Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in Engineering/Technology in either Civil or Agricultural or Environmental Engineering is essential.

Desireable capabilities

Exposure to hydrological modeling, GIS, Climate data and programming.

Expected qualifications (Course/Degrees etc.)

Master’s in either Civil, Agricultural and Environmental Engineering. In exceptional cases a Bachelor’s degree may be considered.