Design and Development of the Architecture and Framework of a Knowledge-Based Expert System for Environmental Impact Assessment

The development of the architecture and framework of a knowledge-based expert system (ES) named "JESEIA" for environmental impact assessment (EIA) was developed using the C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS) that incorporates relevant expert knowledge on EIA and integrates a computational tool to support the preparation of an EIA study. The research was based on the conceptualization and development of the architecture and framework of a knowledge-based expert system that demonstrates the feasibility of integrating the following aspects: Expert knowledge-based system approach, Object-oriented techniques and rules structuring as knowledge modeling paradigm, database management system as a repository connection between domain knowledge sources and the expert system kernel, and finally EIA as a significant knowledge domain and incremental approach as a development model. This work describes the functional framework of combining shared knowledge from various experts as knowledge sources through the implementation of a blackboard system approach that organizes the solution elements and determines which information has the highest certainty to contribute to the inference solution. The rules, in the rule base, were developed according to the environmental component classification characteristics with attributes in an object-oriented technique. The developed system considers the robustness, expandability and modularity throughout its development process. The raw knowledge and database were kept in a supportive data base developed in the system for further reference or updating through the developed expert system as a built-in functionality as well as through a connection to an external data base environment through an open database connectivity mechanism

A knowledge-based expert system for EIA using blackboard approach

Expert systems and knowledge-based systems are widely used in engineering applications and in problem-solving. Rapid development today has brought with it environmental problems that cause loss or destruction of natural resources. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been acknowledged as a powerful planning and decision-making tool to assess new development projects. It requires qualified personnel with special expertise and responsibility in their domain. Knowledge-based EIA systems incorporate expert’s knowledge and act as a device-giving system. The development of an expert system to produce environmental impact assessment reports using an intelligent blackboard co-operative approach is presented. The system has an advantage over human experts and can significantly reduce the complexity of a planning task like EIA

A cooperative multi-agent approach in developing a knowledge based system for EIA

Expert systems and knowledge base systems are widely used in engineering applications and problem solving. As the new development era grows, so do environmental problems that cause loss or destruction of natural resources. Environmental impact assessment has been acknowledged as a powerful planning and decision-making tool prior new development projects. It requires qualified personnel with special expertise and responsibility in their domain. Knowledge based systems for such application is an opportunity to incorporate expert's knowledge and act as a device-giving system. As multi-agent technology begins to emerge as a viable solution for large-scale industrial and commercial applications, there is an increasing need to ensure that the systems being developed are robust, reliable and fit for the purpose. In this article, the development of an expert system to produce environmental impact assessment reports using an intelligent multi-agent cooperative approach was discussed. The system has an advantage over human experts and can reduce significantly the complexity of a planning task like EIA