INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION AND DECISION-SUPPORT SYSTEMS

Environmental impact assessment requires the integration of often disparate information from numerous sources; the coupling of this information with efficient tools for assessment and evaluation that allow broad, interactive participation in the planning, assessment, and decision making process; and effective methods of communicating results and findings to a broad audience. Information technology, and in particular, the integration of data base management systems, GIS, remote sensing, and image processing, simulation and optimization models, expert systems, and computer graphics provide some of the tools to support environmental impact assessment. Using several examples including surface and groundwater pollution, coastal marine systems, water resources development, air pollution, and technological risk (eg., Fedra 1993; Fedra 1991; Fedra et al. 1991), some basic principles and practical solutions in the design and implementation of integrated environmental information and decision support system for environmental impact assessment, planning, and policy making are discussed. Based on a common architecture and a shared tool kit, these systems combine models, GIS, and expert systems in a number of customized implementations for specific problem situations. An easy-to-use graphical user interface, extensive visualization of complex and often abstract information, animation of dynamic systems behaviour, embedded expert systems functionality to support qualitative aspects and assist less experienced users, and context sensitive help- and explain functions based on hypertext are common characteristics of these systems. Built around an analytical core in the form of simulation models and expert systems, transparent linkages to various data bases provide the necessary input information. And the linkage to GIS and visualization components provides direct and immediate graphical display and interpretation of results. Rule-based interpretation and discrete multi-criteria optimization methods are used for the comparative evaluation of alternatives. The integration of complex and powerful software tools in problem oriented systems provides direct and easy access to large volumes of data. It supports their analysis and the prediction of environmental impacts. And it helps to display and interpret results in a directly understandable and useful manner. Integrated information systems support a more interactive, exploratory, and participatory, and thus useful, approach to environmental impact assessment.