Technical Workbook On Environmental Management Tools For Decision Analysis

In March and April 1999, the UNEP-IETC and the Technical Cooperation Council of the Philippines of the Department of Foreign Affairs collaborated to conduct an International Training on Environmental Management (ITEM) for Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Twenty-five participants representing six LDCs attended the two-week program which highlighted an ecological perspective, and presented environmental management fundamentals and sustainable development challenges and applications. A significant portion of ITEM focused on environment management (EM) tools and approaches, such as, Environment Planning, Freshwater Management, Environmental Health Planning and Management, Environmental Technology Assessment, Urban Planning, Environmental Management Systems, Protected Areas Management, Solid Waste Management and Ecotourism. These were delivered through a variety of methods by a seasoned team of UNEP resource persons and national Philippine experts. Training participants contributed their own perspectives through country papers and discussions leading up to the development of action programs in their respective areas.

Individuals faced with making decisions about the environment have an ever-increasing amount of data at their disposal. Developments in information technology (IT) are also providing environmental managers with a vast array of IT-based decision support systems. This book examines the principles of decision support, expert systems and neural networks, and explores their application in environmental planning, analysis and resource management. Practitioners in the environmental sector and students of environmental management will find it an invaluable resource.

This book outlines the creative process of making environmental management decisions using the approach called Structured Decision Making. It is a short introductory guide to this popular form of decision making and is aimed at environmental managers and scientists. This is a distinctly pragmatic label given to ways for helping individuals and groups think through tough multidimensional choices characterized by uncertain science, diverse stakeholders, and difficult tradeoffs. This is the everyday reality of environmental management, yet many important decisions currently are made on an ad hoc basis that lacks a solid value-based foundation, ignores key information, and results in selection of an inferior alternative. Making progress – in a way that is rigorous, inclusive, defensible and transparent – requires combining analytical methods drawn from the decision sciences and applied ecology with deliberative insights from cognitive psychology, facilitation and negotiation. The authors review key methods and discuss case-study examples based in their experiences in communities, boardrooms, and stakeholder meetings. The goal of this book is to lay out a compelling guide that will change how you think about making environmental decisions. Visit www.wiley.com/go/gregory/ to access the figures and tables from the book.

Environmental management is often complicated and multidisciplinary and the issues that arise can be difficult to solve analytically. Often, decision makers take ad hoc approaches, which may result in the ignoring of important stakeholder opinions or decision criteria. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) provides a framework by which these types of decisions can be made but, despite being used effectively in many fields, it is not often used in environmental management. Given the novelty and inherent applicability of this decision making framework to the environmental field, there is a need for more teaching tools for MCDA. In particular, there is a need for a case study based approach to help readers navigate the many MCDA methods and decide how to apply them to a specific case. Through a collection of case studies, Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis: Environmental Applications and Case Studies gives readers the tools to apply cutting-edge MCDA methods to their own environmental projects. It offers an overview of the types of MCDA available and a conceptual framework of how it is applied, with the focus on its applicability for environmental science. Taking an in-depth look at the case of sediment management, the book introduces different steps of MCDA processes�from problem formulation and model development to criteria weighing and alternative scoring. The authors then explore the case using various MCDA methods, which allows readers to see clearly how the methodologies differ and gain a better understanding of the mechanistic operation of the analysis. A series of case studies in nanotechnology collectively demonstrate the application of MCDA in situations of high variability and uncertainty that require the integration of technical information and expert judgment�an area where MCDA clearly shines. The authors describe multiple decisions�from risk classification to value of information analysis to the assessment of potential research and funding investments�that readers may face in dealing with emerging environmental threats. Demonstrating the broad applicability of MCDA methods for different types of cases, the book presents a series of case studies ranging from oyster restoration to oil spill response. In conjunction with these cases, the book also provides corresponding decision models that are implemented by the DECERNS software and allow users to examine the same case using multiple MCDA tools. The DECERNS software and models are available for download at www.crcpress.com. Intended both as a research and teaching tool, this book inspires creative thinking when applying MCDA to complicated environmental issues.

Due to rapid economic growth and enhancing employment opportunities, manufacturing and infrastructural projects play a vital role, especially in developing nations. Even though voluminous literature is available on environmental impact assessment (EIA), guidelines on conducting good quality assessments are lacking. It may be recognized that good EIA reports can only facilitate government decision making with sustainability considerations. The book is the result of the review of more than 150 EIA reports and the analysis of shortcomings observed by the author. It will serve to bridge the gap in the limited understanding of EIA concepts by practitioners and practical aspects by fresh graduates. The book describes the output and salient features of a good quality EIA report and case studies to facilitate professionals preparing and appraising these reports. It will be of immense use to environment ministries, EIA practitioners, EIA appraisal authorities, project proponents, academics, and NGOs, especially in the emerging economies.

Ecotoxicology offers an overview of current ecotoxicological problems. It includes basic ecotoxicological concepts, as well as information about chemicals and toxic substances that may cause harmful effects on the ecosystem and its living components. The book, with a total of 48 chapters, is divided into three parts. The first part includes the basic concepts of ecotoxicology, starting with an introductory chapter on ecotoxicology as a subdiscipline of ecology; assessment on ecotoxicological effects and risk; and properties and effects of toxic chemicals. These topics are further discussed throughout the book, along with nomenclature, focal topics, and the history of ecotoxicology. The two remaining parts tackle harmful properties and harmful chemicals. The second part also covers bioaccumulation, bioavailability, biodegradability, biodegradation, and biomagnification. It also provides models for ecotoxicological populations, ecosystems and landscapes, and on food-web bioaccumulation. Chemicals including benzene, copper, lead, nitrogen, phenols, pheromones, phthalates, plutonium, and uranium are covered in separate chapters in the final part. This book will be of great value to ecologists, ecotoxicologists, and environmental managers. Provides an overview of the theory and application of global ecology International focus and range of ecosystems makes Ecotoxicology an indispensable resource to scientists Based on the bestselling Encyclopedia of Ecology Full-color figures and tables support the text and aid in understanding

The groundbreaking Encyclopedia of Ecology provides an authoritative and comprehensive coverage of the complete field of ecology, from general to applied. It includes over 500 detailed entries, structured to provide the user with complete coverage of the core knowledge, accessed as intuitively as possible, and heavily cross-referenced. Written by an international team of leading experts, this revolutionary encyclopedia will serve as a one-stop-shop to concise, stand-alone articles to be used as a point of entry for undergraduate students, or as a tool for active researchers looking for the latest information in the field. Entries cover a range of topics, including: Behavioral Ecology Ecological Processes Ecological Modeling Ecological Engineering Ecological Indicators Ecological Informatics Ecosystems Ecotoxicology Evolutionary Ecology General Ecology Global Ecology Human Ecology System Ecology The first reference work to cover all aspects of ecology, from basic to applied Over 500 concise, stand-alone articles are written by prominent leaders in the field Article text is supported by full-color photos, drawings, tables, and other visual material Fully indexed and cross referenced with detailed references for further study Writing level is suited to both the expert and non-expert Available electronically on ScienceDirect shortly upon publication