Overview
- Discusses how lessons learned from computational science can address the current problems of environmental impact assessment
- Describes how a systematic, logical approach to environmental assessment can reduce the time and cost of assessments, while producing justifiable results
- A detailed case study designing and implementing a more objective and powerful method of assessment is demonstrated
Part of the book series: Springer Series on Environmental Management (SSEM)
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Table of contents (17 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Introduction
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The Traditional Approach
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Front Matter
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Application
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Front Matter
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Keywords
About this book
Environmental impact assessments are required for a wide-range of projects throughout the world. These assessments have increasing involved complex, political decision-making and incorporated values and beliefs of both stakeholders and interested parties. However, the results are often ineffective because values and beliefs are not easily quantifiable, and decisions are considered subjective. This analysis recognizes these problems and proposes practical methods based on fuzzy logic that will enable people preparing assessments to define terms and quantify opinions and input so that they are agreed upon by all involved parties. Fuzzy logic also quantifies the complex environmental, economic and social conditions that are present and are predicted by project alternatives. The author places special emphasis on the types of issues that frequently arise in NEPA environmental assessments and environmental impact statements and in similar regulations that are used in jurisdictions regionally and internationally. The new methods are intended to reduce the time and cost of assessments, while producing justifiable results.
First, issues related to current environmental impact assessment methods are discussed. Then the book discusses how lessons learned from computational intelligence can address these problems. It describes how a systematic, logical approach to environmental assessment can be applied to a variety of complex situations. Finally, the design and implementation of a more objective and powerful assessment is demonstrated through a worked example. Explanations of computational intelligence techniques and discussions of helpful software are intended to benefit those people actually preparing and using environmental assessments--in language that makes the process transparent and transferable to all types of systems.
Editors and Affiliations
About the editor
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Quantifying Environmental Impact Assessments Using Fuzzy Logic
Editors: Richard B. Shepard
Series Title: Springer Series on Environmental Management
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-28098-7
Publisher: Springer New York, NY
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental Science, Earth and Environmental Science (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag New York 2005
Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-387-24398-6Published: 23 June 2005
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-4419-2029-4Published: 19 November 2010
eBook ISBN: 978-0-387-28098-1Published: 14 October 2006
Series ISSN: 0172-6161
Series E-ISSN: 2512-5559
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XXIV, 264
Number of Illustrations: 42 b/w illustrations
Topics: Environment, general, Math. Appl. in Environmental Science, Applied Ecology, Monitoring/Environmental Analysis, Environmental Law/Policy/Ecojustice, Landscape/Regional and Urban Planning