JavaAHP: a web-based decision analysis tool for natural resource and environmental management

Natural resource and environmental management invariably involves multiple issues, multiple criteria and multiple stakeholders. A large amount of social, economic and environmental information needs to be linked to government policies, stakeholder values, public opinions and management goals. A systematic approach to decision analysis involved in natural resource and environmental management is required to improve the quality of the decision and justify the actions to be taken. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) provides a methodology for multi-criteria analysis and decision making. It allows critical examination of the underlying assumptions, consistency of the judgements, and facilitates the incorporation of qualitative and subjective considerations into quantitative factors for decision making. JavaAHP is a software tool, which implements the AHP. It uses the AHP methodology to model an environmental problem, evaluate relative desirability of alternatives, and organise the information and judgements used in decision making. JavaAHP is deployed on the World Wide Web (WWW) and can be accessed globally. It takes advantages of the WWW with wide availability, Web resource integration and cross-platform capabilities. This paper introduces the major features of JavaAHP and its potential applications in natural resource and environmental management.     

A multicriteria approach for corporate decisions in sustainable planning policy

Under the current conditions of urban and regional renewal, it is a challenge and opportunity to find such decisions in planning policy supporting sustainable development. Redevelopment of former open‐cast mines and shrinking processes in cities are typical examples. Decision making in such a planning context considers complex tasks and involves preferential selection among different, usually competing alternatives. They result from demands of different spatial functions and the necessity to conserve the natural environment and landscape. The modeling of a planning process requires an adequate definition of the problem, identification of the main decision criteria and possible courses of action. Following environmental and institutional economic theory we use the idea of involving stakeholders. Determining and understanding the demands of stakeholders may lead to a successful management of environmental, social, human, and economic tasks. We propose a multicriteria approach to formulate a planning problem as a multiobjective optimization problem.     

Information technologies in a wider perspective: integrating management functions across the urban–rural interface

Recent developments in hydroinformatics, namely watershed modeling tools, show potentials in using these information technologies to implement integrated watershed management and, thus, offer to stakeholders comprehensive decision support systems. This paper presents an overview of hydroinformatics as a means to predict impacts of various point and nonpoint (i.e., diffuse) discharges on the water quality and yield of a watershed, and discusses the practical and technical issues related to their role and use within the context of integrated watershed management. Sample applications of a watershed modeling tool, namely GIBSI, are reported to illustrate some of the capabilities of conducting studies such as: (i) establishing environmental load allocations or total maximum daily loads (i.e., the U.S. framework for managing watersheds) and (ii) evaluating pollutant trading assessment studies at the urban–rural interface. Finally, the paper discusses some of the key practical issues that arise at the interface of integrated urban water management (IUWM) and integrated water resources management (IWRM). From a watershed management point of view, this discussion suggests that IWRM should be used to evaluate the overall efficiency of various urban control strategies as well as to compare the benefits of IUWM with some other alternative solutions (e.g., best management practices).     

Participatory modelling for stakeholder involvement in the development of flood risk management intervention options

Advancing stakeholder participation beyond consultation offers a range of benefits for local flood risk management, particularly as responsibilities are increasingly devolved to local levels. This paper details the design and implementation of a participatory approach to identify intervention options for managing local flood risk. Within this approach, Bayesian networks were used to generate a conceptual model of the local flood risk system, with a particular focus on how different interventions might achieve each of nine participant objectives. The model was co-constructed by flood risk experts and local stakeholders. The study employs a novel evaluative framework, examining both the process and its outcomes (short-term substantive and longer-term social benefits). It concludes that participatory modelling techniques can facilitate the identification of intervention options by a wide range of stakeholders, and prioritise a subset for further investigation. They can help support a broader move towards active stakeholder participation in local flood risk management.     

Design and implementation of an environmental decision support system

An environmental decision support system is a specific version of an environmental information system that is designed to help decision makers, managers, and advisors locate relevant information and carry out optimal solutions to problems using special tools and knowledge. The RAISON (Regional Analysis by Intelligent Systems ON microcomputers) for Windows decision support system has been developed at the National Water Research Institute, Environment Canada, over the last 10 years. It integrates data, text, maps, satellite images, pictures, video and other knowledge input. A library of software functions and tools are available for selective extraction of spatial and temporal data that can be analysed using spatial algorithms, models, statistics, expert systems, neural networks, and other information technologies. The system is of a modular design which allows for flexibility in modification of the system to meet the demands of a wide range of applications. System design and practical experiences learned in the development of a decision support system for toxic chemicals in the Great Lakes of North America are discussed.     

Participatory Bayesian modelling for sustainable and efficient river restoration projects: Feedback from the case study of the Gave de Pau River,Hautes‐Pyrénées,France

Through the diversity of criteria and stakes, the uncertain nature of the entailed phenomena and the multi‐scale aspects to be taken into account, a river restoration project can be considered as a complex problem. Integrative approaches and modelling tools are thus needed to help river managers make predictions on the evolution of hydromorphological, socio‐economic, safety and ecological issues. Such approach can provide valuable information for handling long‐term management plans that consider the interaction and the balance of stakeholders interests and river system functioning. In this paper, we present a probabilistic participatory modelling (PM) method that assesses the effects of given restoration actions, knowing the hydromorphological modifications that they may induce on the safety, ecological and socio‐economic aspects with the help of local stakeholders through several workshops. To support this strategy, we used Bayesian networks (BNs) as modelling tools as their causal graphs can combine multidimensional knowledge and data from diverse natures. We introduce the causal graphs elaborated with the help of the stakeholders and convert it into BNs that can assist restoration decisions by considering the available decision and utility functions to provide guidance to decision‐makers. This was applied to the “Lac des Gaves” reach in the Hautes‐Pyrénées, France, a reach that has gone through severe sediment extractions for over 50 years. Each network represents possible restoration decisions linked to one of the observed issues. The paper demonstrates how BNs used as a decision support system (DSS) can help to assess the influence of given management strategies on the river system with the consideration of stakeholders’ knowledge and integration in all the modelling process.     

城市突发公共卫生事件应急指挥系统空间数据模型设计——以“合肥地区非典防治决策支持系统”为例

该文以合肥地区非典防治决策支持系统为例,分析了城市突发公共卫生事件应急指挥决策支持系统的需求,阐述了基于数字城市空间信息基础设施,利用地理信息系统(GIS)技术,整合数字城市信息化资源,建设城市突发公共卫生事件应急指挥决策支持系统的总体设计和技术实现。     

基于语义技术的柑橘园土壤环境判定决策支持系统的设计与实现

农业生产管理决策支持系统对提高相关农产品的产量与质量起到越来越重要的作用。针对柑橘生产中土壤环境影响柑橘生长的问题,提出了基于语义技术的柑橘园土壤环境判定决策支持系统,重点讨论了该决策支持系统的系统结构、土壤语义数据库的建立以及推理规则的定义等,并应用语义数据库软件AllegroGraph实现了柑橘土壤语义数据库。     

面向多目标应用的土壤空间决策支持平台*

由于环境和人为因素的综合影响,土壤功能在人类时间尺度上可以产生较快的转变,此开发能够准确反映和预测土壤信息时空变化的决策支持平台,对于土地管理者和政策制定者而言是必需的。在解决多源异构数据集成、模型管理和配置、土壤分类参比查询、科学计算可视化、土壤知识自学习等关键问题的基础上,通过集成地理信息系统和framework技术,构建了开放的土壤空间决策支持平台,形成了多目标土壤决策应用的解决方案和敏捷开发模式。     

智慧交通管理系统的设计与应用

智慧城市交通系统建设,能够提高城市交通管理与服务的信息化水平和决策支持能力,是解决交通拥堵,减少交通事故,提高人民生活质量的有效途径。文中结合了交通管理信息、实时定位系统、智能路径规划功能和智能化交通信息分析功能,以出行者的方便和舒适为目的,同时结合GIS空间分析功能,对城市道路信息、公交信息、停车场信息、城市中的各种点位信息进行智能管理,解决了城市道路出现的交通问题。以乐山市为实例进行验证和测试,对实现的系统进行功能性测试,针对智能出行、智能公交、智能路径、智能停车、路径导航、路况信息等功能进行了详细的测试,测试功能实现效果好,系统智能程度高。该智慧交通管理系统具有一定的实用性和技术参考性。     

An integrated modelling tool to evaluate the acceptability of irrigation constraint measures for groundwater protection

In many arid and semi-arid regions agriculture is the main user of GW, causing problems with the quantity and quality of water, but there are few institutional policies and regulations governing sustainable GW exploitation. The authors suggest an integrated methodology for enabling local GW management, capable of combining the need for GW protection with socio-economic and behavioural determinants of GW use. In the proposed tool, integration is reinforced by the inclusion of multiple stakeholders, and the use of Bayesian Belief Networks (BBN) to simulate and explore these stakeholders' attitude to GW exploitation and their responses to the introduction of new protection policies. BBNs and hydrological system properties are integrated in a GIS-based decision support system – GeSAP – which can elaborate and analyse scenarios concerning the pressure on GW due to exploitation for irrigation, and the effectiveness of protection policies, taking into account the level of consensus. In addition, the GIS interface makes it possible to spatialize the information and to investigate model results.The paper presents the results of an experimental application of the GeSAP tool to support GW planning and management in the Apulia Region (Southern Italy). To evaluate the actual usability of the GeSAP tool, case study applications were performed involving the main experts in GW protection and the regional decision-makers. Results showed that GeSAP can simulate farmers' behaviour concerning the selection of water sources for irrigation, allowing evaluation of the effectiveness of a wide range of strategies which impact water demand and consumption.     

视频监控系统在消防指挥调度中的作用

视频监控系统以其覆盖广、传输快、清晰度高等特点,广泛应用于城市预警、交通、城市管理、安防监控等诸多领域。本文主要介绍了视频监控系统在消防调度指挥中起到的辅助决策作用,可以更方便地为调度指挥提供丰富的即时信息,大大提高了出警速度,给领导辅助决策提供了帮助。     

A computer-based system for risk management support

The scale and complexity of present day industrial operations involving hazardous substances are such that managers are faced with increasingly demanding decision problems. They must simultaneously consider technological, economic, environmental and sociopolitical factors. As a response to this problem a computer based decision support system is being developed to support risk management activities, with special emphasis given to hazardous chemicals. The IRIMS (Ispra Risk Management Support) system is an attempt to integrate a number of data bases, containing information relevant to risk management, with several existing simulation models which can be used to address problems of environmental assessment, risk analysis and system optimisation. The system is designed to be user friendly and results are displayed through high resolution colour graphics allowing the non specialised user to obtain a “feel” for the problem under investigation. The paper describes the current prototype system, which is geared to handle problems on a European scale, and plans for further developments which will allow more detailed studies on particular countries or regions.     

Towards knowledge-based systems in clinical practice: development of an integrated clinical information and knowledge management support system

Given that clinicians presented with identical clinical information will act in different ways, there is a need to introduce into routine clinical practice methods and tools to support the scientific homogeneity and accountability of healthcare decisions and actions. The benefits expected from such action include an overall reduction in cost, improved quality of care, patient and public opinion satisfaction. Computer-based medical data processing has yielded methods and tools for managing the task away from the hospital management level and closer to the desired disease and patient management level. To this end, advanced applications of information and disease process modelling technologies have already demonstrated an ability to significantly augment clinical decision making as a by-product. The wide-spread acceptance of evidence-based medicine as the basis of cost-conscious and concurrently quality-wise accountable clinical practice suffices as evidence supporting this claim. Electronic libraries are one-step towards an online status of this key health-care delivery quality control environment. Nonetheless, to date, the underlying information and knowledge management technologies have failed to be integrated into any form of pragmatic or marketable online and real-time clinical decision making tool. One of the main obstacles that needs to be overcome is the development of systems that treat both information and knowledge as clinical objects with same modelling requirements. This paper describes the development of such a system in the form of an intelligent clinical information management system: a system which at the most fundamental level of clinical decision support facilitates both the organised acquisition of clinical information and knowledge and provides a test-bed for the development and evaluation of knowledge-based decision support functions.     

基于物联感知的城区内河应急决策支持系统建设

针对城区内河突发事件的事前实时预警、事中高效分析处理及事后及时反馈的应急处置需求,采用 B/S 架构,基于 Web GIS 平台设计应急决策支持系统。系统架构分为信息采集层、数据支撑层、业务应用层和用户层及信息安全体系。研究设计物联感知体系,实现水环境信息的自动监测预警和闸泵自动化远程控制;集成已有业务应用系统和数据,通过科学的数据组织形式制定应急会商专题信息展板,并结合 ArcGIS API 地图可视化方法在线直观展示各类应急信息,辅助专家进行决策判断。该系统已运用于宁波城区内河城区管理,效果良好。     

Moving towards a collaborative decision support system for aeronautical data

The recent effort in global information standardization within the aviation industry has triggered an increased need for aviation data to be readily available, accurate and easy for stakeholders to use. Aviation management systems are generally based on old proprietary disparate systems, so there is a growing need for a system which could act as a collaborative decision support system, where the same right data can be provided at the right time to the right users. This system would not only eliminate the need to manually retrieve required information from multiple systems and reduce the possibility of human error, it would also allow the discovery of any hidden knowledge, a task otherwise not possible from separate systems. This paper presents our proposed approach to build an integrated system for data-intensive collaborative decision support. Each stage in the proposed framework is explained, including a section on the performance evaluation of the proposed system.     

集成化城市防灾信息系统的设计与实现

城市的防灾减灾能力，关系到人民的生命财产安全，已成年为评价国家进步程度的重要标志。此文针对城市防灾工作的特点，以城市火灾防治为例，撮邮以ＣＡＤ系统为基础，图形与数据库链结为核心，辅助管理、辅助办公，辅助决策为内容的综合型、空间型城市防灾信息系统的模式，论述了系统的集成机理，并对其中的一些关键技术提出了若干解决方法。     

An expert system for decision support of municipal water pollution control

This study presents an expert system (ES) for assisting departments of environmental management in their efforts to improve water quality in a city. The ES was built based on the premise that municipal water quality is related not only to the environmental conditions of a city, but also to its economic and social systems. The system called WPC-ES can analyze relationships between industrial water pollution and economic activities of industrial enterprises of a city. The system includes a decision model at its core, which integrates another four closely related subsystems. As an application, use of the system by the environmental protection agency of a city in the Yellow River Basin of China is presented. The results showed that the system could provide better decision support for environmental management. Some lessons drawn from development of the system are useful for other development efforts of ES for enhancement of water quality in developing countries.     

Concepts of decision support for river rehabilitation

River rehabilitation decisions, like other decisions in environmental management, are often taken by authorities without sufficient transparency about how different goals, predictions, and concerns were considered during the decision making process. This can lead to lack of acceptance or even opposition by stakeholders. In this paper, a concept is outlined for the use of techniques of decision analysis to structure scientist and stakeholder involvement in river rehabilitation decisions. The main elements of this structure are (i) an objectives hierarchy that facilitates and stimulates explicit discussion of goals, (ii) an integrative probability network model for the prediction of the consequences of rehabilitation alternatives, and (iii) a mathematical representation of preferences for possible outcomes elicited from important stakeholders. This structure leads to transparency about expectations of outcomes by scientists and valuations of these outcomes by stakeholders and decision makers. It can be used (i) to analyze synergies and conflict potential between stakeholders, (ii) to analyze the sensitivity of alternative-rankings to uncertainty in prediction and valuation, and (iii) as a basis for communicating the reasons for the decision. These analyses can be expected to support consensus-building among stakeholders and stimulate the creation of alternatives with a greater degree of consensus. Because most decisions in environmental management are characterized by similarly complex scientific problems and diverse stakeholders, the outlined methodology will be easily transferable to other settings.     

基于知识支持的建筑施工质量控制系统研究

将知识管理的理念应用到施工质量控制中,加速施工质量控制中知识的循环过程,提高工程质量预测控制和事故诊断能力。通过湖北省建筑工程质量控制研究实践,开发了集建筑质量控制知识管理和决策支持功能于一体的施工质量控制和事故处理系统(CQIS),系统将正向规则推理和基于案例的推理(CBR)相结合,通过RBR接口调用RBR系统,提高案例推理质量诊断的能力,实现基于知识的综合推理功能。该系统已经获得科技成果鉴定和湖北省科技推广成果。