Open AccessAn Analysis of the Value of Additional Information Provided by Water Quality Measurement Network
Author(s) -
François Destandau,
Amadou Pascal Diop
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of water resource and protection
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1945-3108
pISSN - 1945-3094
DOI - 10.4236/jwarp.2016.88062
Subject(s) - rationalization (economics) , value of information , bayesian network , computer science , relation (database) , value (mathematics) , environmental economics , information quality , reflection (computer programming) , water quality , econometrics , operations research , information system , data mining , statistics , microeconomics , economics , mathematics , machine learning , artificial intelligence , engineering , ecology , biology , programming language , electrical engineering
International audienceEuropean Community policy concerning water is placing increasing demands on the acquisition of information about the quality of aquatic environments. The cost of this information has led to a reflection on the rationalization of monitoring networks and, therefore, on the economic value of information produced by these networks. The aim of this article is to contribute to this reflection. To do so, we used the Bayesian framework to define the value of additional information in relation to the following three parameters: initial assumptions (prior probabilities) on the states of nature, costs linked to a poor decision (error costs) and accuracy of additional information. We then analyzed the impact of these parameters on this value, particularly the combined role of prior probabilities and error costs that increases or decreases the value of information depending on the initial uncertainty level. We then illustrated the results using a case study of a stream in the Bas-Rhin department in France