Integrated Environmental Modelling: Design and Tools

In the mid 1980's - while a student at the department of econometrics at the Free University - I became an assistant at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IvM) of this university. My main task was assisting with the com­ putational aspects of the project 'an integrated environmental model: a case study in the Markiezaat area'. A number of methodological problems were for­ mulated during the operationalization phase of that project, such as the need to develop systematically an integrated model design and to look for means of handling different sources of information. Prof. Dr. P. Nijkamp of the Department of Regional Economics and Drs. L. Hordijk - at that time leader of the economic-technological research group at the IvM - therefore initiated a project proposal to be supported by the Netherlands Organisation for the Advancement of Pure Research (ZWO). Meanwhile I became an assistant to Prof. Dr. P. Nijkamp, surveying qualita­ ti ve statistical developments in the field of regional inequa li ty analysis. This inventory has been shown to be a relevant basis for the preparation of this book. In spring 1982 I began working at IvM on the above project on integrated environmental modelling.

1. Introduction.- 1.1. Regional economic modelling.- 1.2. Environmental issues in regional economic modelling.- 1.3. Integrated environmental modelling.- 1.4. Outline of the study.- A. Introduction to Integrated Environmental Modelling: A Survey and an Evaluation.- 2. Integrated Environmental Models: A Survey.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2. Multi-objective control of nutrient loadings into a lake.- 2.3. Simulation of regional development and fishery activities.- 2.4. Policy analysis of water management for the Netherlands.- 2.5. Policy analysis to protect an estuary from floods.- 2.6. Economic-environmental-ecological impact analysis of flood plain models.- 2.7. An economic-ecological model for land-marine integrated development.- 2.8. An environmental ecosystem quality management model.- 2.9. A triple layer approach to a national-regional economic- environmental- employment model.- 2.10. Systems approach of economic-environmental-energy analysis.- 2.11. Simulation of the impacts of herbicides on the environment and agriculture.- 2.12. Economic-ecological analysis by simulation and optimization.- 2.13. Urbanization and environmental planning and design.- 2.14. An integrated regional environmental model for physical planning.- 2.15. Interactions between economic-social-ecological systems in a region of intense agriculture.- 2.16. Concluding remarks.- 3. Evaluation of Integrated Environmental Modelling Approaches.- 3.1. Introduction.- 3.2. The objective of study and the objective of analysis.- 3.3. The modules and the mathematical tools.- 3.4. Dimensions of space and time in integrated environmental models.- 3.5. The availability of information in integrated environmental models.- 3.6. Concluding remarks.- B. Methodology and Tools to Operationalize an Integrated Environmental Model.- 4. A Systems Approach to an Integrated Environmental Model.- 4.1. Introduction.- 4.2. Systems theory.- 4.3. Two designs of integration.- 4.3.1. Introduction.- 4.3.2. A horizontal model approach and a vertical model approach.- 4.4. Towards a satellite design of an integrated environmental model.- 4.5. The spatial aggregation level and spatial scale level in regional environmental modelling.- 4.6. Concluding remarks.- 5. Statistical and Econometric Tools to Operationalize an Integrated Environmental Model.- 5.1. Introduction.- 5.2. Systems with binary, qualitative and quantitative information.- 5.2.1. Introduction.- 5.2.2. Interpretation of systems with binary information.- 5.2.3. Interpretation of systems with qualitative information.- 5.2.4. Interpretation of systems with quantitative information.- 5.3. Statistical models with qualitative and quantitative data.- 5.3.1. Introduction.- 5.3.2. Classification and integration of statistical approaches.- 5.3.3. Log-linear models and logit models for contingency table analysis.- 5.3.4. Estimation, assessment and selection for qualitative statistical models.- 5.3.5. A graph approach to multidimensional contingency tables.- 5.4. Multivariate analysis for non-metric data.- 5.4.1. Introduction.- 5.4.2. Multidimensional scaling for ordinal information.- 5.4.3. Homogeneous scaling for nominal information.- 5.5. Concluding remarks.- C. An Integrated Environmental Modelling Approach.- 6. Towards an Integrated Environmental Model For the Biesbosch Area.- 6.1. Introduction.- 6.2 Design of an integrated systems model and the treatment of key phenomena.- 6.3. Causality analysis of an integrated environmental model.- 6.4. Analysis of an integrated environmental model with qualitative information.- 6.5. Concluding remarks.- 7. Outdoor Recreation in the Biesbosch Area.- 7.1. Introduction.- 7.2. A spatial characterization of outdoor recreation.- 7.3. The multivariate nature of outdoor recreation.- 7.3.1. Introduction.- 7.3.2. Homogeneous scaling of outdoor recreation.- 7.3.3. Multidimensional scaling of outdoor recreation.- 7.4. Path analysis and recreational activities.- 7.5. Concluding remarks.- 8. Conclusion.- 8.1. Reflection of the study.- 8.2. Outlook of the study.- References.- Author Index.