Members of the Social and Economic Sciences research program doing fieldwork.

Social and Economic Sciences

Over 80 scientists are currently engaged in CSIRO’s Social and Economic Sciences Research Program, making it one of the largest social science research programs in the world focused on natural resource management and sustainability challenges.

• 17 February 2010 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Overview
• External partners
• Research achievements

Overview

CSIRO's Social and Economic Sciences research program aims to deliver social, behavioural, economic and institutional research that informs natural resource management policy and the design of sustainable solutions to environmental problems.

Our scientists work with governments, communities, industries, land managers and Indigenous Australians to assist in understanding complex issues and decision-making about natural resource management.

External partners

Major external partners include:

• Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)
• Australian Dept of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA)
• Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC)
• Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre (DK CRC)
• Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF).

Our partnerships are further supported by a program of visiting scientists to share experiences and thinking from around the world.

Research achievements

The Social and Economic Sciences Program has provided some notable inputs into sustainability research, covering resource economics, modelling and scenario analysis, and regional futures planning. 

Some examples available on line including:

• Growing the green collar economy: Report
• The Ecosystem Services Project [external link].

Read about Decision support for natural resource policy and investment appraisal.