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USING NEW APPROACHES TO ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION‐MAKING:
Author(s) -
Mathis Mitchell L.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
review of policy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1541-1338
pISSN - 1541-132X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1541-1338.1999.tb00881.x
Subject(s) - baseline (sea) , environmental resource management , scarcity , water resources , watershed , environmental planning , water quality , computer science , environmental science , ecology , oceanography , machine learning , biology , geology , economics , microeconomics
ABSRACT This article examines a unique application of integrated assessment methodologies to analyze water scarcity, development and the environment in the semi‐arid Lower Rio Grande/Rio Bravo watershed. U.S. and Mexican data are analyzed to produce an integrated “baseline report” of current socio‐economic, ecological, water supply and demand, water quality, and management conditions and trends. The baseline report provides the basis for subsequent analysis of alternative future scenarios for the region. Scenarios are developed by combining demographic projections with alternatives for future water availability, irrigation technologies, and management practices. The integrated assessment methodology is evaluated as a general tool for environmental decisionmaking. Problems encountered in applying the methodology are discussed, as are possibilities for improvements. The article concludes that, despite inherent difficulties, integrated assessments can provide a powerful framework by which to analyze complex environmental issues involving different disciplines and large amounts of information.