Managing fires in the tropical savannas of Northern Australia could reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Fire and carbon in regional Australia

This project is identifying the biophysical, economic and social opportunities for remote communities relating to land management for greenhouse gas abatement, with a focus on fire management in tropical savannas.

• 17 September 2008 | Updated 14 October 2011

Overview

• Background
• Scope
• Activities

Background

Tropical savannas contain about 30 per cent of Australia’s terrestrial carbon stocks, and about one-third of the biome is burnt each year. These fires make a significant contribution to the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, and strongly influence rates of carbon sequestration. 

There is growing national and international interest in reducing the extent and severity of these fires in a greenhouse gas abatement context. This has the potential to transform regional economies in northern Australia, especially by providing livelihood opportunities for remote Aboriginal communities.

Scope

This project addresses the biophysical, economic, policy and anthropological issues relating to fire and other land management for greenhouse gas abatement in regional Australia.

The project aims to:

• improve knowledge of greenhouse gas emissions from fires in different savanna types of vegetation
• document the potential of emission abatement through changed fire management in different regions
• develop a predictive understanding of above- and below-ground carbon sequestration in relation to variation in fire and climate, to be incorporated into a comprehensive model of savanna carbon dynamics
• calibrate the National Carbon Accounting System for tropical savannas
• document the market and non-market benefits and costs of fire and carbon-related land management practices, and outline how these values might be realised
• identify what institutional arrangements are necessary to realise carbon values from fire management on private, public and Indigenous lands
• examine how fire management for greenhouse gas abatement can be most effectively incorporated into sustainable livelihood development for Indigenous communities.

Activities

(i) Incorporating below-ground emissions and carbon sequestration into a comprehensive model of savanna carbon dynamics in relation to fire.

Below-ground Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration are being measured at representative savanna sites with known fire histories across northern Australia. Information on soil carbon fluxes is being integrated with existing knowledge of above-ground fluxes for a comprehensive understanding of savanna carbon dynamics in relation to fire. Measured and simulated carbon fluxes are being compared with those estimated from various tools such as the NGGI and NCAS.

(ii) Biophysical and economic potential for generating marketable offsets.

The biophysical potential for Greenhouse gas abatement in different regions is being analysed under different fire management scenarios. A range of economic questions are being addressed in the context of trading in carbon offsets, relating to:

• offset markets
• benefit-cost ratios of offset projects
• impacts on other environmental, economic and social values
• institutional arrangements.

(iii) Indigenous economic development

The Tiwi Islands is being used as a case study for integrating fire management for Greenhouse abatement into a broader economic development framework. The case study is:

• identifying the biophysical potential for Greenhouse gas abatement under different fire management scenarios
• conducting cost-benefit analyses of different land-use options from the perspective of Greenhouse gas abatement
• identifying institutional and governance options for managing carbon offsets
• integrating Greenhouse gas abatement into a broader framework for sustainable livelihoods.

Read more about Sustainable regional development.