Environmental Modelling, Software, and Decision Support - State of the Art and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Sustainability has many definitions and interpretations. For practical purposes it can be viewed as a process that aims for a better future for the planet and all its gener- ations. Given the current track record of humanity, this is a gargantuan challenge but one that must be met. It requires knowledge and communication of socioeco- nomic and environmental processes, needs and aspirations, all of which can vary in time and space. Modelling and accompanying software and decision support sys- tem development have become of increasing importance as a way of defining and conceptualising environmental problems, systematically integrating, updating and making accessible the available knowledge and data and, more recently and impor- tantly, engaging decision makers and the wider public in this adaptive process. The aims of this book are to present the current state of the art in environmen- tal modelling and software and identify the major challenges in the field that would promote sustainability and environmental decision processes. Its tone is influenced by several factors and these are themes throughout the book. Its contributors fully realise that without due process and full appreciation of their limitations and capabil- ities there is a risk of models and software being ineffective, misused or their outputs misinterpreted. They also appreciate that uncertainty cannot be totally eliminated but that it can be understood, communicated and managed. The book is a truly collaborative product associated with the 3rd Biennial Meet- ing of the International Environmental Modelling and Software Society, held from July 9–13 2006, in Burlington, Vermont, USA, and billed as a Summit on Environ- mental Modelling and Software. It is not your usual set of Proceedings. It gathers the collective efforts of 156 expert environmental modellers and software develop- ers who, through the auspices of the above Society, used interactive web facilities to define and address topics relevant to the above aims. Position Papers were subse- quently written by the contributors as background documents for 19 workshops at the Summit. Following the workshop discussions the papers were revised and have become chapters in this book. We hope that we have contributed to making modelling and software become an even more valuable process of sharing and structuring knowledge, providing a means of investigating tradeoffs and increasing system understanding. A.J.