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On the Design of Computer-Based Models for Integrated Environmental Science

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Abstract

The current research agenda in environmental science is dominated by calls to integrate science and policy to better understand and manage links between social (human) and natural (nonhuman) processes. Freshwater resource management is one area where such calls can be heard. Designing computer-based models for integrated environmental science poses special challenges to the research community. At present it is not clear whether such tools, or their outputs, receive much practical policy or planning application. It is argued that this is a result of (1) a lack of appreciation within the research modeling community of the characteristics of different decision-making processes including policy, planning, and (2) participation, (3) a lack of appreciation of the characteristics of different decision-making contexts, (4) the technical difficulties in implementing the necessary support tool functionality, and (5) the socio-technical demands of designing tools to be of practical use. This article presents a critical synthesis of ideas from each of these areas and interprets them in terms of design requirements for computer-based models being developed to provide scientific information support for policy and planning. Illustrative examples are given from the field of freshwater resources management. Although computer-based diagramming and modeling tools can facilitate processes of dialogue, they lack adequate simulation capabilities. Component-based models and modeling frameworks provide such functionality and may be suited to supporting problematic or messy decision contexts. However, significant technical (implementation) and socio-technical (use) challenges need to be addressed before such ambition can be realized.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support of the EC-funded TiGrESS (Contract # EVG3-2001-00024) and Aquadapt (Contract # EVK1-CT-2001-00104) projects and of the EPSRC-funded CoDES project (Contract # GR/S82336). Furthermore, the authors would like to acknowledge the intellectual contributions made by Roger Seaton, Tim Oxley, Robert Muetzelfeldt, Sander van der Leeuw, Macarena Mata Poras, and other colleagues from the Archaeomedes, EPPM, Modulus, and Gouverne projects to the foundations of this article. The extensive comments given at the review stage by Robert M. Argent from The University of Melbourne and an anonymous reviewer were very helpful.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Water Sciences, Cranfield University, College Road, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL, United Kingdom

    Brian S. Mcintosh & Paul Jeffrey

  2. International Ecotechnology Research Centre, Cranfield University, College Road, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL, United Kingdom

    Mark Lemon

  3. School of Historical Studies, University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Newcastle, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom

    Nick Winder

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  1. Brian S. Mcintosh
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Correspondence to Brian S. Mcintosh.

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Mcintosh, B.S., Jeffrey, P., Lemon, M. et al. On the Design of Computer-Based Models for Integrated Environmental Science. Environmental Management 35, 741–752 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-004-0172-0

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