ECOSENSUS: developing collaborative learning systems for stakeholding development in environmental planning

ECOSENSUS *(Electronic/Ecological Collaborative Sensemaking Support System) investigates the socio-technological issues around developing collaboration tools for participatory environmental decision making amongst (a) marginalised natural resource users, (b) professional 'experts' from different countries, and (c) key decision makers associated with managing ecosystems. An integral activity is the production of open content learning resources to support stakeholders in facilitating distributed environmental decision making. This involves the integrated use of three open source software tools: Moodle (online course management), Compendium (dialogue mapping) and uDig (user friendly desktop/internet GIS). In the first ECOSENSUS-1 phase, the pilot collaborative effort has been focused on supporting stakeholders in developing adaptive management plans for the Rupununi Wetlands in southern Guyana, a region rich in flora and fauna but also under intense pressure to expand the exploitation of its natural resources, including timber, gold, and commercially viable fish species. Results of the ECOSENSUS-1 are briefly described along with some preliminary notes on the current ECOSENUS-2 phase of associated research in Guyana supported by an additional grant from DEFRA. The paper prompts questions on how ECOSENSUS can feed into wider open source course development using the LabSpace on the OpenLearn project

A Market-Oriented Approach for Multiple Objective Optimization in Agro-Ecological Land Use Planning

The development of a third world country requires a conscious balance between different planning and policy issues, such as population growth rate, gross national income, self reliance and long-term sustainable ecological development. This paper reports on a cross-disciplinary project to design a decision support system (DSS) that aims to assist government policy makers in planning the regional agricultural development of the Bungoma region in Kenya. Contrary to previous research, which has taken the perspective of a central planner and a static market, this model extends the scope by introducing the market mechanisms and price subsidies. The model is based on the Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZ) model, a previously developed non-interactive optimization model that provides an agro-ecological and economic assessment of various types of land uses, including cash-crops, food production, grazing, forestation and farming. This paper maintains the decision analytic scope of the AEZ model to explicitly incorporate a multicriteria decomposition optimization formulation that facilitates a direct trade-off analysis between the various decision criteria within a user-interactive decision support modeling framework. The model uses in-depth information about the Bungoma region, extracted from a large scale FAO database on Kenya that includes information on various climate and soil characteristics (e.g., thermal and moisture regime, soil type, slope class) and socio-economic data (e.g., projected growth rate and product demand patterns) for 90,000 agro-ecological cells. At each stage of the analysis, our system offers the decision maker several alternative planning strategies with different suggested land uses for over 100 different types of crops, fuelwood and livestock land utilization types of evaluation, allowing the decision maker to take into account trade-offs between a number of planning and policy criteria, including food output, net revenue, gross value of output, self sufficiency, production costs, arable land use and degree of erosion.decision analysis, multicriteria decision making, integrated land-use planning and management, decision support systems, Land Economics/Use,

AN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM TO SUPPORT THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS IN THE RECYCLING SECTOR FOR END-OF-LIFE-VEHICLES

In recent years, legal and social pressure increasingly forces companies operating in the recycling sector to take into account environmental aspects. For automobile recyclers, especially statutory provisions such as recycling and reuse quotas, are a challenging factor and consequently compels them to include the arising ecological requirements into the decision-making. To support practitioners in the evaluation and selection of alternatives in the context of the recycling process of end-of-life vehicles (ELV), we design and evaluate an environmental management information system (EMIS). The development of the proposed system is based on an acknowledged design science approach. Therefore, we determined industry-specific requirements and source systems of information and embed them into the system architecture. Finally, we show the suitability of the proposed EMIS based on a real-world case study in the recycling sector of ELVs and point out its benefits with respect to economic and environmental aspects. To sum up, the proposed EMIS demonstrates the integration of internal and external data sources as well as legal requirements and voluntary ecological aspects to provide a basis for reasonable decision-making applications in the context of ELVs

Traditional ecological knowledge supports ecosystem-based management in disturbed coastal marine social-ecological systems

A growing number of studies suggest a participatory ecosystem approach to support decision-making toward resilience and sustainability in social-ecological systems. Social-ecological resilience (SER) principles and practices are recommended to manage natural crises. However, it is necessary to broaden our understanding of SER on human-induced disturbances driven by economic development projects. In this paper we present the social-ecological system of Araçá Bay (Brazil), a small-scale fishery community that has experienced successive disturbances due to development projects since the 1930s. There was a lack of studies about the impacts of development projects in this bay. As part of a major project that aimed to build an ecosystem-based management plan for Araçá Bay through a participatory planning process, we focused on investigating fishers’ traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to understand Araçá Bay’s small-scale fisheries social-ecological system. The objectives were to: (1) investigate fishers’ TEK regarding management practices and linked social mechanisms, human-induced disturbances and their consequences for the social-ecological system, ecosystem goods and services, and future threats; and (2) provide information based on TEK to the participatory planning process and analyze its contribution to Araçá Bay’s ecosystem-based management plan. Combined methods were used during 3 years of intense research-action (2014–2017): in-depth ethno-oceanographic interviews with expert fishers; monitoring Araçá Bay participatory meetings; and participant observation. Genuine local practices and social mechanisms from traditional culture were recorded, as well as TEK about 57 target fish species and methods to protect habitats and natural resources. Fishers also reported ecosystem disturbances and recovery processes. TEK was codified through SWOT analysis to assist the participatory planning process. Ecosystem services and threats based on TEK were brought to the participatory process, acknowledged by the participants, and incorporated into the management plan. TEK analysis proved to be an important methodology to provide historical environmental data regarding the impacts of development projects and support planning in disturbed ecosystems. In order to support coastal marine ecosystem-based management strategies toward SER and sustainability, researchers and practitioners should consider traditional territories in planning, recognize local practices and social mechanisms, and consider TEK on ecosystem goods and services and on historical human-induced disturbances

Sustainable Urban Systems: Co-design and Framing for Transformation

Rapid urbanisation generates risks and opportunities for sustainable development. Urban policy and decision makers are challenged by the complexity of cities as social–ecological–technical systems. Consequently there is an increasing need for collaborative knowledge development that supports a whole-of-system view, and transformational change at multiple scales. Such holistic urban approaches are rare in practice. A co-design process involving researchers, practitioners and other stakeholders, has progressed such an approach in the Australian context, aiming to also contribute to international knowledge development and sharing. This process has generated three outputs: (1) a shared framework to support more systematic knowledge development and use, (2) identification of barriers that create a gap between stated urban goals and actual practice, and (3) identification of strategic focal areas to address this gap. Developing integrated strategies at broader urban scales is seen as the most pressing need. The knowledge framework adopts a systems perspective that incorporates the many urban trade-offs and synergies revealed by a systems view. Broader implications are drawn for policy and decision makers, for researchers and for a shared forward agenda

Ecological Interface Design for Flexible Manufacturing Systems: An Empirical Assessment of Direct Perception and Direct Manipulation in the Interface

Four interfaces were developed to factorially apply two principles of ecological interface design (EID; direct perception and direct manipulation) to a flexible manufacturing system (FMS). The theoretical foundation and concepts employed during their development, with findings related to more significant issues regarding interface design for complex socio-technical systems, are discussed. Key aspects of cognitive systems engineering (CSE) and EID are also discussed. An FMS synthetic task environment was developed, and an experiment was conducted to evaluate real-time decision support during supervisory operations. Participants used all four interfaces to supervise and maintain daily part production at systematically varied levels of difficulty across sessions. Significant results provide evidence that the incorporation of direct perception and direct manipulation in interface design produced an additive effect, allowing for greater support for the supervisory agents

An Integrated Decision Support Toolbox (DST) for the Management of Mountain Protected Areas

New tools and methodologies are required in systemic planning and management of mountain protected areas. Among others we propose here a decision support toolbox (DST) conceived as an integrated collection of both soft and hard system methodologies, consisting of participatory and computer-based modules to provide a set of integrated, self-contained tools and approaches to support decision-making processes in the management of mountain protected areas. The Sagarmatha National Park and Buffer Zone (SNPBZ) in Nepal was taken as a pilot case. A number of participatory exercises such as participatory 3-dimensional modeling, scenario planning, and qualitative modeling were carried out to understand social-ecological processes and generate a systemic view over space and time. The qualitative models were then converted into computer-based system dynamics models. The design and development of DST software were carried out with an incremental and modular approach. This process involved stakeholder analysis and decision-making processes through a series of consultations. The software was developed with the main modules including scenario analysis, spatial analysis, and knowledge base. The scenario analysis module runs system dynamics models built in Simile software and provides functions to link them with spatial data for model inputs and outputs. The spatial analysis module provides the basic geographic information system functions to explore, edit, analyze, and visualize spatial information. The knowledge base module was developed as a metadata management system for different categories of information such as spatial data, bibliography, research data, and models. The development of DST software, especially system dynamics modeling and its linkage with spatial components, provided an important methodological approach for spatial and temporal integration. Furthermore, training and interactions with park managers and concerned stakeholders showed that DST is a useful platform for integrating data and information and better understanding ecosystem behavior as a basis for management decisions

Ecological management in general managerial system

В статті розглядаються головні принципи, на яких ґрунтується національна екологічна політика. Проаналізовано генеральні цілі національної екологічної політики. Пропонується перелік заходів, які повинна провести держава з метою усунення прямого зв’язку між економічним зростанням та погіршенням стану навколишнього середовища, створення розгалуженої екомережі та припинення втрат біорізноманіття.Cardinal principles are considered In article on which is founded national ecological policy. The general purposes national ecological politicians will Analysed. It Is Offered list action, which must realize the state for the reason removal direct intercoupling between economic growing by deterioration environs ambiences, creation extended ecological network and cessations of the losses biology variety. In Ukraine is designed and on governmental level is approved Concept of the stable development, which is provided introduction economic mechanism to activity on guard of the nature: In Ukraine is designed and on governmental level is approved Concept of the stable development, which is provided introduction economic mechanism on guard of the natur to activity: - a financing enterprise and organization, which produce ecological чистую product; - financial support ecological project, directed on guard surrounding ambiences; - an introducing the system credit for enterprise and separate people; - support of the scientific studies on decision of the ecological problems; - a making the services ecological аудита. In Ukraine necessary to use with provision for world experience direct and indirect methods of the economic regulation guard surrounding ambiences, as follows: determination of the economic restrictions on economic activity, licensing all type to activity, complex ecological expert operation.В статье рассматриваются основные принципы на которых основывается национальная экологическая политика. Проанализированы генеральные цели национальной экологической политики. Предлагается перечень мероприятий, которые должно осуществить государство с целью устранения прямой взаимосвязи между экономическим ростом ухудшением оружающей среды, созданием расширенной экосети и прекращения потерь биоразнообразия

A Decision Support System for Rangeland Management in Degrading Environments

The continued viability and productivity of commercial and emerging agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, depends on the accurate assessment and sustainable utilization of available natural resources. Sustainability implies that growth and development must take place, and be maintained over time, within the limits set by natural ecosystems. Utilizing an extensive GIS database, field surveys and remote sensing technology, a land assessment decision support system (LADSS) has been developed in an attempt to define these limits for the Province. This system has been developed to assess the appropriate use of existing resources as well as the suitability of current land use practices. LADSS includes a predictive tool which allows the impact of a proposed change in land use to be forecast within 590 agro-ecological zones of the Province