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Mahadev G. Bhat
Earth and Environment Department, Florida International University, MM Campus, Miami, FL 33199, USA

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Journal article
Published: 05 June 2021 in Water
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Rising water scarcity in agriculture has been a major concern worldwide. As resource managers seek to address this issue, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has become a widely accepted sustainability paradigm. The purpose of this study is to evaluate restoration alternatives of irrigation tanks by applying multi-criteria and probabilistic benefit–cost analysis for a rural watershed in India. We incorporate the principles of local-IWRM, namely, hydrological balance, efficiency, equity, stakeholders’ involvement, and uncertainty. We use the mixed-method approach of data collection, including remotely sensed hydro-ecological data, walk-through field observations, focus groups, and household surveys. The study region produces a large percent of runoff water (i.e., about 67% of the total precipitation) which can be partially captured to sustain irrigation tanks. The majority of the tanks in the study area do possess moderate to high irrigation potential yet remain in poor conditions. A proposed lift irrigation scheme with a 75% or more increase in water availability could return from ₹ 1.23 to ₹ 1.73 on every Indian rupee (₹) invested, in addition to other socio-ecological benefits. The increase in water availability could lead to future crop area expansion, which comes with a high price tag. Therefore, using additional water on the existing crop area can be just as economically viable as water-induced crop expansion. A coordinated effort on the part of local agencies and water users is necessary for efficient and equitable use of incremental water that comes from any restoration efforts in the study area or elsewhere.

ACS Style

Nicholas Charles; Mahadev Bhat; Ramachandra Bhatta; Krishna Hegde; Ganapati Hegde. Multi-Criteria Hydro-Economic Decision Tool for Rejuvenating Community Irrigation Tanks in Rural India. Water 2021, 13, 1594 .

AMA Style

Nicholas Charles, Mahadev Bhat, Ramachandra Bhatta, Krishna Hegde, Ganapati Hegde. Multi-Criteria Hydro-Economic Decision Tool for Rejuvenating Community Irrigation Tanks in Rural India. Water. 2021; 13 (11):1594.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nicholas Charles; Mahadev Bhat; Ramachandra Bhatta; Krishna Hegde; Ganapati Hegde. 2021. "Multi-Criteria Hydro-Economic Decision Tool for Rejuvenating Community Irrigation Tanks in Rural India." Water 13, no. 11: 1594.

Journal article
Published: 25 May 2021 in Sustainability
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Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop in Florida, a state located in the south-eastern region of the United States. The state is the second largest producer of tomatoes in the country and contributes to almost 90% of the domestic winter tomato supplies. However, tomato farmers in Florida have come under increasing pressure due to climate changes, foreign imports, and rising production costs. The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether Florida tomato growers will continue to sustain their production given the seasonal and geographic production advantage, yet against various internal and external threats emerging throughout the fresh produce supply chain. We developed our study on a multi-disciplinary conceptual model of network (supply chain) relationship and primary and secondary data gathered from various stakeholders and the literature. We found that Florida farmers have done remarkably well by adapting to warming temperatures and changing consumer expectations about environmental sustainability and responsible labor practices. However, foreign competition, labor shortage, the rising costs of inputs, extreme weather events (hurricanes), and pests and diseases due to humid climate continue to affect the sustainability of the Florida tomato production. Our paper suggests various farm-, market-, and institution-level adaptation mechanisms for preventing the regional production advantage of the Florida tomato industry from eroding. Newer immigration laws are necessary for easing the labor situation. In order to have a level playing field with respect to the use of protected agriculture technology such as in Mexico and Canada, U.S. farmers in general and Florida farmers in particular need government support. Florida farmers need to diversify their fresh produce market strategies, finding new product streams. There is also a need for reforming the product certification landscape, which some growers find cumbersome and cost prohibitive. Growers may gain from being better able to convey to consumers the information regarding their effort put into environmental sustainability, workers welfare, and safe food.

ACS Style

Saoli Chanda; Mahadev Bhat; Kateel Shetty; Krishnaswamy Jayachandran. Technology, Policy, and Market Adaptation Mechanisms for Sustainable Fresh Produce Industry: The Case of Tomato Production in Florida, USA. Sustainability 2021, 13, 5933 .

AMA Style

Saoli Chanda, Mahadev Bhat, Kateel Shetty, Krishnaswamy Jayachandran. Technology, Policy, and Market Adaptation Mechanisms for Sustainable Fresh Produce Industry: The Case of Tomato Production in Florida, USA. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (11):5933.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Saoli Chanda; Mahadev Bhat; Kateel Shetty; Krishnaswamy Jayachandran. 2021. "Technology, Policy, and Market Adaptation Mechanisms for Sustainable Fresh Produce Industry: The Case of Tomato Production in Florida, USA." Sustainability 13, no. 11: 5933.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2020 in Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
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Coastal ecosystems are at great risk from climate change and sea level rise, potentially resulting in loss of habitat and economic costs to society. This study aimed to investigate whether users’ attitudes toward climate risks have any bearing on how they value ecosystem services and express the desire to mitigate risks. The study used psychometric measures to characterize users’ attitudes toward climate risk. The findings were integrated into an economic discrete choice model to elicit public willingness to pay (WTP) for improved fishery and overall ecosystem health resulting from increased freshwater inflows in the Florida Everglades. The respondents’ WTP was strongly dependent on their perceptions of the risk posed by sea level rise. Adjusting WTP for risk perception resulted in a 40.03% increase in annual estimated recreational benefits from unadjusted WTP. Water management agencies in Florida may wish to consider people’s attitudes toward risk when designing their public education and engagement programs in support of ecosystem restoration.

ACS Style

Christina Estela Brown; Mahadev G. Bhat; Jennifer Rehage. Valuing Ecosystem Services under Climate Risk: A Case of Recreational Fisheries in the Florida Everglades. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management 2020, 146, 04020089 .

AMA Style

Christina Estela Brown, Mahadev G. Bhat, Jennifer Rehage. Valuing Ecosystem Services under Climate Risk: A Case of Recreational Fisheries in the Florida Everglades. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management. 2020; 146 (12):04020089.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Christina Estela Brown; Mahadev G. Bhat; Jennifer Rehage. 2020. "Valuing Ecosystem Services under Climate Risk: A Case of Recreational Fisheries in the Florida Everglades." Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management 146, no. 12: 04020089.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2020 in Ocean & Coastal Management
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This study aims to examine whether individuals' attitudes toward the anthropogenic risks facing staghorn corals and coral reef ecosystems off the Southeast (SE) coast of Florida influence their valuation of coral reef ecosystem services and willingness to mitigate risks. We use preference data and psychometric measures characterizing the public's attitudes toward risk elicited through a stated preference survey and integrate them into alternative econometric valuation models to estimate willingness-to-pay (WTP) to restock and protect the threatened staghorn coral off the SE coast of Florida. The household WTP estimates for the restocking program, marine reserve and combined programs were $179.01, $96.60 and $275.61, respectively. Respondent WTP was strongly dependent on respondents' perception of the anthropogenic risks facing staghorn corals and coral reef ecosystems. Adjusting WTP for risk perception resulted in an average increase of 98% in perceived benefits from unadjusted WTP for the three hypothetical management programs examined. Factors found not to influence WTP include preference elicitation method, use of, and distance to, the resource in question. Coral reef management agencies may want to consider people's attitudes toward risk when designing their public education and engagement programs in support of coral reef restoration.

ACS Style

Kevin E. Cavasos; Mahadev G. Bhat. Impact of risk perception on household willingness-to-pay to restock the threatened staghorn coral. Ocean & Coastal Management 2020, 193, 105244 .

AMA Style

Kevin E. Cavasos, Mahadev G. Bhat. Impact of risk perception on household willingness-to-pay to restock the threatened staghorn coral. Ocean & Coastal Management. 2020; 193 ():105244.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kevin E. Cavasos; Mahadev G. Bhat. 2020. "Impact of risk perception on household willingness-to-pay to restock the threatened staghorn coral." Ocean & Coastal Management 193, no. : 105244.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2019 in Marine Policy
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As global fisheries management shifts towards ecosystem-based management, responsible organizations and governments must also address the socio-economic impacts of this shift. This study evaluates potential impacts of such management shift with a case study of Pulley Ridge (PR), an ecologically rich area in the Gulf of Mexico, on fishermen and economies of Florida's Gulf Coast. We developed an input-output model to estimate direct, backward-linkage, forward-linkage, and induced consumption effects of various management scenarios on the region's economy. We also solicited input on the proposed management changes from Florida saltwater fishing license holders using an online survey. Although gear restrictions may affect harvest of the region's two most lucrative fish types, snappers and groupers, the proposed changes would impact only a small fraction of the fishing industry and the regional economy. Results suggest economic impacts to affected counties and the overall Gulf Coast fishery from management changes would be limited, i.e., less than 3% reductions in income, taxes and employment. Nonetheless, almost 90% of survey respondents indicated the proposed management changes would affect their business either “Significantly” or “Very Significantly”. Results suggest developing broad based support for changes affecting the commercial fishing sector may require stakeholder negotiation along with convincing evidence that the proposed changes will improve regional fishery production in the near term.

ACS Style

Nadia Seeteram; Mahadev Bhat; Brett Pierce; Kevin Cavasos; David Die. Reconciling economic impacts and stakeholder perception: A management challenge in Florida Gulf Coast fisheries. Marine Policy 2019, 108, 103628 .

AMA Style

Nadia Seeteram, Mahadev Bhat, Brett Pierce, Kevin Cavasos, David Die. Reconciling economic impacts and stakeholder perception: A management challenge in Florida Gulf Coast fisheries. Marine Policy. 2019; 108 ():103628.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nadia Seeteram; Mahadev Bhat; Brett Pierce; Kevin Cavasos; David Die. 2019. "Reconciling economic impacts and stakeholder perception: A management challenge in Florida Gulf Coast fisheries." Marine Policy 108, no. : 103628.

Journal article
Published: 01 July 2018 in Science of The Total Environment
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South Florida's water infrastructure and ecosystems are under pressure from socio-economic growth. Understanding the region's water resources management tradeoffs is essential for developing effective adaptation strategies to cope with emerging challenges such as climate change and sea level rise, which are expected to affect many other regions in the future. We describe a network-based hydro-economic optimization model of the system to investigate the tradeoffs, incorporating the economic value of water in urban and agricultural sectors and economic damages due to urban flooding while also accounting for water supply to sustain fragile ecosystems such as the Everglades and coastal estuaries. Results illustrate that maintaining high reliability of urban water supply under scenarios of reduced water availability (i.e., drier climate conditions) may trigger economic losses to the Everglades Agricultural Area, which will likely become more vulnerable as competition over scarce water resources increases. More pronounced economic losses are expected in urban and agricultural areas when flows to the Everglades are prioritized. Flow targets for coastal estuaries are occasionally exceeded under optimal flow allocations to various demand nodes, indicating that additional storage may be needed to maintain the environmental integrity of the estuarine ecosystems. Wetter climate conditions, on the other hand, generally lead to increased flows throughout the system with positive effects on meeting water demands, although flood mitigation efforts will necessitate additional releases to the estuaries. Strengths and limitations of the hydro-economic model are discussed.

ACS Style

Ali Mirchi; David W. Watkins; Vic Engel; Michael C. Sukop; Jeffrey Czajkowski; Mahadev Bhat; Jennifer Rehage; David Letson; Yuki Takatsuka; Richard Weisskoff. A hydro-economic model of South Florida water resources system. Science of The Total Environment 2018, 628-629, 1531 -1541.

AMA Style

Ali Mirchi, David W. Watkins, Vic Engel, Michael C. Sukop, Jeffrey Czajkowski, Mahadev Bhat, Jennifer Rehage, David Letson, Yuki Takatsuka, Richard Weisskoff. A hydro-economic model of South Florida water resources system. Science of The Total Environment. 2018; 628-629 ():1531-1541.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Mirchi; David W. Watkins; Vic Engel; Michael C. Sukop; Jeffrey Czajkowski; Mahadev Bhat; Jennifer Rehage; David Letson; Yuki Takatsuka; Richard Weisskoff. 2018. "A hydro-economic model of South Florida water resources system." Science of The Total Environment 628-629, no. : 1531-1541.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2018 in Science of The Total Environment
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This research develops an integrated methodology to determine the economic value to anglers of recreational fishery ecosystem services in Everglades National Park that could result from different water management scenarios. The study first used bio-hydrological models to link managed freshwater inflows to indicators of fishery productivity and ecosystem health, then link those models to anglers' willingness-to-pay for various attributes of the recreational fishing experience and monthly fishing effort. This approach allowed us to estimate the foregone economic benefits of failing to meet monthly freshwater delivery targets. The study found that the managed freshwater delivery to the Park had declined substantially over the years and had fallen short of management targets. This shortage in the flow resulted in the decline of biological productivity of recreational fisheries in downstream coastal areas. This decline had in turn contributed to reductions in the overall economic value of recreational ecosystem services enjoyed by anglers. The study estimated the annual value of lost recreational services at $68.81 million. The losses were greater in the months of dry season when the water shortage was higher and the number of anglers fishing also was higher than the levels in wet season. The study also developed conservative estimates of implicit price of water for recreation, which ranged from $11.88 per AF in November to $112.11 per AF in April. The annual average price was $41.54 per AF. Linking anglers' recreational preference directly to a decision variable such as water delivery is a powerful and effective way to make management decision. This methodology has relevant applications to water resource management, serving as useful decision-support metrics, as well as for policy and restoration scenario analysis.

ACS Style

Christina Brown; Mahadev G. Bhat; Jennifer S. Rehage; Ali Mirchi; Ross Boucek; Victor Engel; Jerald S. Ault; Pallab Mozumder; David Watkins; Michael Sukop. Ecological-economic assessment of the effects of freshwater flow in the Florida Everglades on recreational fisheries. Science of The Total Environment 2018, 627, 480 -493.

AMA Style

Christina Brown, Mahadev G. Bhat, Jennifer S. Rehage, Ali Mirchi, Ross Boucek, Victor Engel, Jerald S. Ault, Pallab Mozumder, David Watkins, Michael Sukop. Ecological-economic assessment of the effects of freshwater flow in the Florida Everglades on recreational fisheries. Science of The Total Environment. 2018; 627 ():480-493.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Christina Brown; Mahadev G. Bhat; Jennifer S. Rehage; Ali Mirchi; Ross Boucek; Victor Engel; Jerald S. Ault; Pallab Mozumder; David Watkins; Michael Sukop. 2018. "Ecological-economic assessment of the effects of freshwater flow in the Florida Everglades on recreational fisheries." Science of The Total Environment 627, no. : 480-493.

Original articles
Published: 04 August 2017 in Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems
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Fair trade and organic coffee are alternative production and trade systems designed to promote the equitable and environmentally sustainable production of coffee. The purpose of this study is to analyze the functioning of different coffee supply chains in Bolivia and find policy changes necessary to sustain specialty coffee production in that country. Based on the primary and secondary data collected from various market functionaries, we find that the Bolivian coffee growers and other intermediaries have benefited financially from participating in fair trade and organic markets. However, the producers continue to face challenges, including increasing costs of production, stagnant premium, price floors, and declining yield. Institutional reforms within the supply chain and greater support from the government are necessary to ensure a better functioning Bolivian market. The government should also prioritize certified coffee as a part of its national food sovereignty agenda since Bolivians consume increasing amounts of high-quality coffees.

ACS Style

Christopher Lucas Estevez; Mahadev G. Bhat; David Barton Bray. Commodity chains, institutions, and domestic policies of organic and fair trade coffee in Bolivia. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems 2017, 42, 299 -327.

AMA Style

Christopher Lucas Estevez, Mahadev G. Bhat, David Barton Bray. Commodity chains, institutions, and domestic policies of organic and fair trade coffee in Bolivia. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. 2017; 42 (3):299-327.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Christopher Lucas Estevez; Mahadev G. Bhat; David Barton Bray. 2017. "Commodity chains, institutions, and domestic policies of organic and fair trade coffee in Bolivia." Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems 42, no. 3: 299-327.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2017 in International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology
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In response to a national ambitious biofuel policy, the Indian state of Karnataka launched a feedstock development program on the principles of decentralisation, sustainability, and multiple fuel sources. A network of farmers oilseed associations are being formed in order to encourage farmers to grow, pool and process a large number of small-scale oilseed productions. Success of such program depends on the conversion efficiencies of the feedstock at multiple stages and value added by-products. This study focuses on one of the program crops, Simarouba glauca, as a test case. The conversion efficiency of the village-level, decentralised production model was assessed and compared with the theoretical biodiesel production efficiency. The study indicated that the field-level feedstock conversion efficiency was less than that of the lab-scale set up. However, the fuel qualities of the Simarouba glauca biodiesel were found to be of standards required for fuel designation. The study shows that there is a significant potential for improving the field-level feedstock conversion efficiency through technical improvements and best practices in oilseed collection, curing and conversion. The study offers a few programmatic and policy suggestions for such improvements.

ACS Style

Andrew Aaron Jungman; Mahadev G. Bhat; Krishnaswamy Jayachandran; Balakrishna Gowda. An assessment of biodiesel feedstock conversion efficiency: a case study of decentralised biofuel production program in rural India. International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology 2017, 8, 47 .

AMA Style

Andrew Aaron Jungman, Mahadev G. Bhat, Krishnaswamy Jayachandran, Balakrishna Gowda. An assessment of biodiesel feedstock conversion efficiency: a case study of decentralised biofuel production program in rural India. International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology. 2017; 8 (1):47.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrew Aaron Jungman; Mahadev G. Bhat; Krishnaswamy Jayachandran; Balakrishna Gowda. 2017. "An assessment of biodiesel feedstock conversion efficiency: a case study of decentralised biofuel production program in rural India." International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology 8, no. 1: 47.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2017 in International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology
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ACS Style

Krishnaswamy Jayachandran; Mahadev G. Bhat; Andrew Aaron Jungman; Balakrishna Gowda. An assessment of biodiesel feedstock conversion efficiency: a case study of decentralised biofuel production program in rural India. International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology 2017, 8, 47 .

AMA Style

Krishnaswamy Jayachandran, Mahadev G. Bhat, Andrew Aaron Jungman, Balakrishna Gowda. An assessment of biodiesel feedstock conversion efficiency: a case study of decentralised biofuel production program in rural India. International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology. 2017; 8 (1):47.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Krishnaswamy Jayachandran; Mahadev G. Bhat; Andrew Aaron Jungman; Balakrishna Gowda. 2017. "An assessment of biodiesel feedstock conversion efficiency: a case study of decentralised biofuel production program in rural India." International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology 8, no. 1: 47.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2016 in Technology in Society
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The wide-spread prevalence of unimproved sanitation technologies around the world has been a major cause of concern for the environment and public health. Public agencies often grapple with the question why the adoption of improved sanitation technologies has been slow. Based on a case study in rural Tanzania, this paper assesses the local environmental conditions and end users' socio-economic characteristics as drivers of technology diffusion. The assessment relies on a comprehensive framework of sustainability indicators and draws inputs from a survey of 500 households and focus group discussion with 40 environmental health practitioners. Ninety-six percent of the households had toilets, with only 9.4% having improved toilets. Not all recommended technologies were suitable to certain local soil, water and natural resource conditions. The technologies that end users perceived as socio-culturally and economically acceptable were different from those that experts thought to be environmentally and economically sustainable. Lack of education and family economic status drove a wedge between people's perception and technical prescriptions. On the basis of multi-criteria, aggregate sustainability index, SanPlat and Pour Flush toilets were the top two sustainable technologies. Finally, using a theoretical framework for technology implementation, the paper identifies several existing and potential gaps that may further slowdown the process of technology adoption. Improvement in sanitation in rural Tanzania requires education of people about its health benefits, proper training, and extension of rural health workers. Direct financial incentives could further enhance sanitation practice, hygiene and environmental conditions. The integration of the multi-criteria assessment and implementation framework done in this study should be of interest to other developing countries as well.

ACS Style

Amour Seleman; Mahadev G. Bhat. Multi-criteria assessment of sanitation technologies in rural Tanzania: Implications for program implementation, health and socio-economic improvements. Technology in Society 2016, 46, 70 -79.

AMA Style

Amour Seleman, Mahadev G. Bhat. Multi-criteria assessment of sanitation technologies in rural Tanzania: Implications for program implementation, health and socio-economic improvements. Technology in Society. 2016; 46 ():70-79.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Amour Seleman; Mahadev G. Bhat. 2016. "Multi-criteria assessment of sanitation technologies in rural Tanzania: Implications for program implementation, health and socio-economic improvements." Technology in Society 46, no. : 70-79.

Book chapter
Published: 26 April 2016 in Sowing Seeds in the City
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As wild-caught fish landings plateau and the global population grows, aquaculture has emerged as the fastest-growing agricultural sector. In the context of urbanization, we present the challenges and opportunities surrounding fish farming in its various forms. Intensive, highly controlled recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) treat and recycle fish effluent to maximize fish yields while conserving water. As a subset of RAS, aquaponic systems further enhance water use efficiency and reduce waste by including a hydroponic component that produces marketable plant crops. We discuss details of aquaponic system design and operation and provide a pictorial guide to the aquaponic system at the Rutgers EcoComplex.

ACS Style

Miles Medina; Krish Jayachandran; Mahadev Bhat; David Specca. Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) and Aquaponics for Urban Food Production, with a Pictorial Guide to Aquaponics. Sowing Seeds in the City 2016, 293 -308.

AMA Style

Miles Medina, Krish Jayachandran, Mahadev Bhat, David Specca. Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) and Aquaponics for Urban Food Production, with a Pictorial Guide to Aquaponics. Sowing Seeds in the City. 2016; ():293-308.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miles Medina; Krish Jayachandran; Mahadev Bhat; David Specca. 2016. "Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) and Aquaponics for Urban Food Production, with a Pictorial Guide to Aquaponics." Sowing Seeds in the City , no. : 293-308.

Journal article
Published: 25 July 2015 in Aquaculture International
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Aquaponics, the integrated production of fish and hydroponic crops in a recirculating system, is an intensive cultivation method in which metabolic fish wastes fertilize plants. This study compares the effects of two aquafeeds on Red amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor) productivity and on water quality parameters under cultivation of Blue tilapia (Oreochromis aureus), in three aquaponic replicate units per treatment over a 60-day experimental trial. The fishmeal-based control feed contains higher crude protein (40 %) and phosphorus (1.12 %) than the plant-based alternative feed (32 % and 0.40 %, respectively). The alternative feed resulted in a significantly higher amaranth crop yield (p < 0.05), with significantly lower concentrations of nitrate-N (NO3-N) and total dissolved solids (TDS) in the aquaponic culture water over the course of the experiment. Orthophosphate (PO4-P), total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) levels were not significantly different between the control and alternative aquafeed treatments. Economic analysis revealed that improved plant productivity from the plant-based, lower-protein aquafeed may potentially increase total aquaponic farm revenue despite reduced fish production.

ACS Style

Miles Medina; Krishnaswamy Jayachandran; Mahadev G. Bhat; Alok Deoraj. Assessing plant growth, water quality and economic effects from application of a plant-based aquafeed in a recirculating aquaponic system. Aquaculture International 2015, 24, 415 -427.

AMA Style

Miles Medina, Krishnaswamy Jayachandran, Mahadev G. Bhat, Alok Deoraj. Assessing plant growth, water quality and economic effects from application of a plant-based aquafeed in a recirculating aquaponic system. Aquaculture International. 2015; 24 (1):415-427.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miles Medina; Krishnaswamy Jayachandran; Mahadev G. Bhat; Alok Deoraj. 2015. "Assessing plant growth, water quality and economic effects from application of a plant-based aquafeed in a recirculating aquaponic system." Aquaculture International 24, no. 1: 415-427.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2014 in CATENA
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ACS Style

Shimelis Dessu; Assefa Melesse; Mahadev G. Bhat; Michael E. McClain. Assessment of water resources availability and demand in the Mara River Basin. CATENA 2014, 115, 104 -114.

AMA Style

Shimelis Dessu, Assefa Melesse, Mahadev G. Bhat, Michael E. McClain. Assessment of water resources availability and demand in the Mara River Basin. CATENA. 2014; 115 ():104-114.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Shimelis Dessu; Assefa Melesse; Mahadev G. Bhat; Michael E. McClain. 2014. "Assessment of water resources availability and demand in the Mara River Basin." CATENA 115, no. : 104-114.

Journal article
Published: 28 March 2014 in Water Resources Management
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The Mara River in East Africa is currently experiencing poor water quality and increased fluctuations in seasonal flow. Improved water quality will require upstream farmers and foresters to adopt Best Management Practices (BMPs), which might cost them considerably. This study proposes a Payment for Watershed Services (PWS) mechanism. This is a market-based approach, whereby downstream water users would pay upstream watershed service providers towards the costs of BMPs implementation. This study analyzes the technical feasibility and economic viability of adapting selected BMPs and provides cost estimates of a PWS program. Using three criteria of water quality improvement, economic feasibility, and technical suitability, a detailed economic opportunity cost analysis revealed that farmers would indeed incur economic losses for all BMPs except no-till farming. We also developed a multi-criteria (demographic and environmental) methodology for identifying land areas to be placed under BMPs. More than 122,000 ha of land would require BMPs, including a moratorium on agriculture inside the Mau Forest Complex. The initial per hectare opportunity costs across the five highest ranked BMPs ranged from US$ 272 to US$ 926. Using these cost estimates, the paper draws some valuable policy and management insights on how to finance BMP implementation.

ACS Style

George Atisa; Mahadev G. Bhat; Michael E. McClain. Economic Assessment of Best Management Practices in the Mara River Basin: Toward Implementing Payment for Watershed Services. Water Resources Management 2014, 28, 1751 -1766.

AMA Style

George Atisa, Mahadev G. Bhat, Michael E. McClain. Economic Assessment of Best Management Practices in the Mara River Basin: Toward Implementing Payment for Watershed Services. Water Resources Management. 2014; 28 (6):1751-1766.

Chicago/Turabian Style

George Atisa; Mahadev G. Bhat; Michael E. McClain. 2014. "Economic Assessment of Best Management Practices in the Mara River Basin: Toward Implementing Payment for Watershed Services." Water Resources Management 28, no. 6: 1751-1766.

Book chapter
Published: 05 February 2014 in Nile River Basin
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This chapter develops a concise, but comprehensive, plan for designing and developing a payment for watershed services (PWSs) mechanism in the Mara River basin (MRB), Kenya. It will describe the current water situation in the Mara and future trends. It will make the “case” for improved land management practices and more efficient water use in the headwaters of the catchment (Nyangores and Amala sub-catchments), and it will introduce PWS as an effective mechanism to facilitate and support improved water research and management. There is a growing sense of optimism among stakeholders in the Kenyan and Tanzanian sides of MRB. National water resources management legislations in both countries have enabled the formation of water users associations (WUAs). Legislative provisions for introducing PWS have been made. Various government agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and academic institutions have been conducting extensive studies to estimate a minimum environmental flow regime for the river. Efforts to educate resource users through WUAs are also being made. There is definitely no consensus among user groups as to who should be the lead agency for implementing intracountry or intercountry payment schemes as of yet. However, if the above-mentioned governmental and nongovernmental efforts continue, the prospect of PWS implementation in MRB in the future is promising.

ACS Style

Mahadev G. Bhat; Michael McClain; Doris Ombara; William Kasanga; George Atisa. Payment for Watershed Services in the Mara River Basin: Part I: Institutions and Stakeholder Engagement. Nile River Basin 2014, 639 -665.

AMA Style

Mahadev G. Bhat, Michael McClain, Doris Ombara, William Kasanga, George Atisa. Payment for Watershed Services in the Mara River Basin: Part I: Institutions and Stakeholder Engagement. Nile River Basin. 2014; ():639-665.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mahadev G. Bhat; Michael McClain; Doris Ombara; William Kasanga; George Atisa. 2014. "Payment for Watershed Services in the Mara River Basin: Part I: Institutions and Stakeholder Engagement." Nile River Basin , no. : 639-665.

Book chapter
Published: 05 February 2014 in Nile River Basin
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Understanding the landowners’ willingness and attitude toward best management practices is a key step toward implementing payment for watershed services (PWS) schemes. This chapter presents the results of a field research that was conducted in the Mara River basin (MRB) focusing on the demographic, economic, and environmental factors that might influence farmers’ willingness to implement water conservation practices. The influencing factors were assessed by applying descriptive statistics and a logit regression model. The data were collected via a household survey of more than 700 farming families in the basin. The results indicated high levels of farmers’ willingness to implement water conservation practices except for cutting down on water extraction. Cost compensation would be necessary to promote implementation of such practice. The farm size consistently had a positive effect on conservation practice implementation. We recommend that the PWS managers in the MRB target larger farmers first in implementing the schemes and fully compensate small farmers for the same. In general, farmers in Tanzania had a slightly higher degree of willingness to implement water conservation practices on public lands. This higher level of participation could be directly attributed to the nature of agriculture, water uses, and public landownership. Animal husbandry is a more prominent activity in Tanzania, and, therefore, its farmers appear to depend on rivers and streams for their animals more frequently than other countries.This usage motivates them to participate in public land conservation measures, an encouraging motive that the PWS agencies may want to consider while planning.

ACS Style

Koji Hashimoto; Mahadev G. Bhat; Michael McClain; Doris Ombara; William Kasanga. Payment for Watershed Services in the Mara River Basin: Part II: An Analysis of Stakeholders’ Perceptions and Willingness to Implement Conservation Practices. Nile River Basin 2014, 667 -683.

AMA Style

Koji Hashimoto, Mahadev G. Bhat, Michael McClain, Doris Ombara, William Kasanga. Payment for Watershed Services in the Mara River Basin: Part II: An Analysis of Stakeholders’ Perceptions and Willingness to Implement Conservation Practices. Nile River Basin. 2014; ():667-683.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Koji Hashimoto; Mahadev G. Bhat; Michael McClain; Doris Ombara; William Kasanga. 2014. "Payment for Watershed Services in the Mara River Basin: Part II: An Analysis of Stakeholders’ Perceptions and Willingness to Implement Conservation Practices." Nile River Basin , no. : 667-683.

Journal article
Published: 20 July 2013 in Environmental Economics and Policy Studies
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This paper investigates several user-based funding mechanisms for protecting the marine resources in the Republic of the Maldives, by conducting an economic valuation of its recreational uses. We developed an individual travel demand model, corrected for truncation and endogenous stratification, to estimate the benefits of atoll-based marine tourism. The study found a large disparity between the amount of economic value generated from this opportunity for nature-based tourism and the amount going into atoll environmental conservation. More than half the environmental protection expenditure currently comes from unstable international sources, which makes it imperative that more stable financing sources be found. The results of the study show that even a small percent of tax added to tourist expenditure on the islands, or a direct conservation check-off as user fee collected from the tourists, would help defray the costs of atoll conservation. The paper concludes on a discussion of the policy implications of sustainable user-based financing mechanisms.

ACS Style

Mahadev G. Bhat; Ramachandra Bhatta; Mohamed Shumais. Sustainable funding policies for environmental protection: the case of Maldivian atolls. Environmental Economics and Policy Studies 2013, 16, 45 -67.

AMA Style

Mahadev G. Bhat, Ramachandra Bhatta, Mohamed Shumais. Sustainable funding policies for environmental protection: the case of Maldivian atolls. Environmental Economics and Policy Studies. 2013; 16 (1):45-67.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mahadev G. Bhat; Ramachandra Bhatta; Mohamed Shumais. 2013. "Sustainable funding policies for environmental protection: the case of Maldivian atolls." Environmental Economics and Policy Studies 16, no. 1: 45-67.

Book review
Published: 01 January 2013 in Journal of Natural Resources Policy Research
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ACS Style

Mahadev G. Bhat. Environmental Valuation in South Asia , edited by A.K. Enamul Haque, M.N. Murty, and Priya Shyamsundar. Journal of Natural Resources Policy Research 2013, 5, 67 -68.

AMA Style

Mahadev G. Bhat. Environmental Valuation in South Asia , edited by A.K. Enamul Haque, M.N. Murty, and Priya Shyamsundar. Journal of Natural Resources Policy Research. 2013; 5 (1):67-68.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mahadev G. Bhat. 2013. "Environmental Valuation in South Asia , edited by A.K. Enamul Haque, M.N. Murty, and Priya Shyamsundar." Journal of Natural Resources Policy Research 5, no. 1: 67-68.

Journal article
Published: 31 January 2009 in Marine Policy
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The establishment of marine protected areas (MPA) has been a common government response to increasing fishing, tourism and other human activities that lead to decline in coral and marine resources. MPAs often suffer inadequacy of funds and simply become “paper parks”. This study makes a case for the feasibility of a self-financing mechanism for MPAs by estimating potential surplus benefit that recreational users may gain from MPAs in Jamaica. These same recreational users in turn, might be willing to pay a small portion of that gain toward the management costs. With the help of a travel cost model and the visitors’ willingness to pay (WTP) estimates, we show that the management costs of the park amount to a negligible amount; less than 0.1% of the annual total WTP. Furthermore, using these WTP estimates and the findings from other stakeholders’ surveys (hotels, tour operators, etc.), the paper provides insights on user-supported funding policies, such as taxes and fees, which might sustain the operations of MPAs in Jamaica and the broader Caribbean region.

ACS Style

Kimesha Reid-Grant; Mahadev G. Bhat. Financing marine protected areas in Jamaica: An exploratory study. Marine Policy 2009, 33, 128 -136.

AMA Style

Kimesha Reid-Grant, Mahadev G. Bhat. Financing marine protected areas in Jamaica: An exploratory study. Marine Policy. 2009; 33 (1):128-136.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kimesha Reid-Grant; Mahadev G. Bhat. 2009. "Financing marine protected areas in Jamaica: An exploratory study." Marine Policy 33, no. 1: 128-136.