School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT GEOG5060 GIS & Environment Dr Steve Carver

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Outline: Introduction Principles and theory Examples Online SDSS 11. Spatial decision support systems

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Introduction The ultimate application? OR... is this where the previous 10 lectures have been leading? Use of GIS for environmental applications includes: 1. data management 2. characterisation and assessment 3. modelling and spatial analysis 4. management and decision support Applications 1 thru 3 culminate in 4... the end use?

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Application or decision support? An application may end at any point CORINE, GRID, GEMS, etc. end at 1 descriptive/mapping exercise and EA may end at 2 predictive modelling exercise may end at 3 BUT they must all start at 1 and work through these stages in sequence The ultimate end application must be decision making (i.e. management) and use in support of decisions made

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Aims of Environmental Science Aims of environmental science: to accumulate knowledge pertaining to the environment? to understand environmental processes and linkages? Objectives of environmental science: gather data pertaining to environmental phenomena and processes via empirical investigation? to develop theories encompassing environmental themes? i.e. to gain understanding and insight through study

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Aims of Environmental Management Aims of environmental management: to prevent environmental deterioration and degradation? to promote sustainable use of the environment? to prevent over use or exploitation of natural resources? to preserve environmental diversity? Objectives of environmental management: to control the environment and/or our influences upon the environment via direct or indirect action? i.e. putting environmental science to work!

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Decision making and decision support Decision making vs decision support GIS can provide certain tools for assisting in the decision making process i.e.maps/displays as means of visualising the problem overlays as means of defining relationships modelling as means of predicting outcomes etc

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Question… To what extent can GIS be regarded as a general purpose spatial decision support tool?

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT …the answer GIS functions on their own are NOT decision making tools... (i.e. they only ASSIST in the decision making process)...therefore, GIS is not a decision making tool, it is a decision SUPPORT tool

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Why GIS is not decision making GIS is not a decision making tool kit to make (good) decisions requires: knowledge & foresight insight & intelligence expertise, etc. i.e. rational choice between alternatives (especially where conflicts are present) GIS does not provide the above, BUT it can fulfil important role in decision making by providing decision support

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Decision support is… Decision support: role of aiding the decision making process simplest level: expert advice regarding a decision between alternatives most complex level: dedicated computer systems i.e. decision support systems (DSS)

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Developing Spatial DSS The role of GIS? GIS is an INCREDIBLY USEFUL tool GIS toolbox can be used to develop SDSS SDSS retain the general characteristics of basic DSS but in addition they include: spatial data input capabilities storage of complex structures common in spatial data analytical techniques unique to spatial data cartographic output

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Basic SDSS structure Database G.I.S Models User Interface User: expert knowledge

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT GIS as SDSS? GIS fits nicely with additional requirements of a SDSS, but still does not meet the overall requirements of a DSS GIS do not include expert knowledge GIS do not possess artificial intelligence (AI) GIS have only limited spatial analysis functionality GIS are not very user friendly GIS are not dedicated systems

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Question… How can we address these short-comings of GIS in developing SDSS?

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Example: nuclear waste disposal Example of a facilities location exercise involving multiple and conflicting criteria ideal example application for a SDSS from initial site survey through to public inquiry problem has been approached by NIREX since 1981 and they are now on their fifth attempt four previous failures due to poor information, poor public communication, obsession with engineering issues, etc. why didn't they listen to me?

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Nuclear waste… the problem

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Nuclear waste disposal… how?

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT A GIS approach… Basic GIS/MCE site search: identify screening (constraint) factors and their threshold criteria and use map overlay to identify areas satisfying above constraints identify multiple site-based factors on which to optimise establish weighting scheme for factors run MCE routine to identify optimal or near-optimal sites run sensitivity analyses and identify final sites pass the buck!

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Advantages… Advantages of such an approach are: good at deterministic area screening provides an application framework for MCE MCE provides GIS with spatial analysis functionality provides a rational and objective approach

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Nuclear waste disposal… where?

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Role of SDSS SDSS may be used throughout the site selection decision making process as follows: aiding initial decision making process public information, consultation and participation decision support at public inquiry

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Online SDSS If public participation is goal then need to: maximise access to data and tools maximise scope for public participation at all stages of planning process at all stages of decision process Utilise web-based GIS for SDSS

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Conclusions SDSS is utlimate end application of environmental GIS development of GIS-based SDSS online SDSS

School of Geography FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT Practical Running online SDSS Run the following: Virtual Slaithwaite Open Spatial Decision Making Wilderness mapping