Nuno Videira

Participatory Modelling in Environmental Decision-Making: The Ria Formosa Natural Park Case Study

Environmental decision-making generally involves issues of complexity, uncertainty and information feedback. The complexity of environmental problems calls for integrated and multi-disciplinary approaches, which include civil society and stakeholder groups affected by or affecting environmental decisions. This paper presents a participatory modelling framework to facilitate public and stakeholder involvement in environmental decision-making. Results from a case study in the Ria Formosa Natural Park in Portugal illustrate the process of participatory modelling. The use of the System Dynamics modelling methodology facilitates the identification of the fundamental structure underlying the processing of information flows in order to achieve the desired behaviour of environmental decisions. It sets up a collaborative environment for the involvement of stakeholders in the development and experimentation of alternative policy scenarios. Along with the achievement of a simulation model, this approach is likely to foster trust in institutions, promote team learning and increase commitment towards actions.

Environmental and Economic Tools to Support Sustainable Golf Tourism: The Algarve Experience, Portugal

Environmental quality is a driving force for the sustainable development of tourism in the 21st century. Nevertheless, the increasing pressures placed upon the stocks of natural capital call for integrated approaches to balance the impacts of tourism activities. Recent growth trends of the golf industry are strengthening its potential to become a vehicle for competitive and sustainable tourism. On the other hand, golf courses cause undisputed environmental impacts, which require effective management and control. This paper presents a sustainability assessment framework and the results from its application to the Algarves golf courses. A key element of the sustainability analysis was the development of performance indicators. It was concluded that the position of the existing courses in the environmental dimension could be improved if management tools were implemented by many of the golf clubs. This measure would bring the environmental indicators closer to the benchmarking values of the courses with the best environmental performance. In terms of economic and social performance, the indicators show that golf is a profitable business, whether as an anchor for other tourist development, or as a sporting activity on its own.

A review of invasive alien species impacts on eucalypt stands and citrus orchards ecosystem services: Towards an integrated management approach

Multidisciplinary knowledge on the impact caused by invasive alien species (IAS) on ecosystems is crucial for guiding policy makers in the adoption of sustainable management measures. This research was focused on insect IAS impacts on two managed ecosystems: eucalypt plantations and citrus orchards. It begins with an identification of the wide range of ecosystem services (ES) and disservices provided by each of these managed ecosystems, according to the methodology proposed by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Subsequently, a comprehensive review of studies that promoted the identification and valuation of direct and indirect impacts IAS impacts on these ecosystems was performed. From the synthesis of previous findings, an integrative management framework is advanced. This links the identification of ES, drivers of change and development of IAS management strategies by means of assessment processes that account for multiple dimensions of ES values. The article concludes with a discussion on the challenges underpinning assessment and valuation approaches that inform the design of inclusive strategies and interventions to tackle IAS impacts.

A Collaborative Approach for Scoping Ecosystem Services with Stakeholders: The Case of Arrábida Natural Park

This paper presents an innovative approach for conducting collaborative scoping processes aiming to elicit multiple values of ecosystem services. The proposed methodology rests on three steps combining different participatory tools that promote a comprehensive examination of the perceptions hold by relevant stakeholder groups. The first step consists of an institutional and stakeholder analysis developed in the study area. The second includes a participatory workshop, where a sequence of scoping exercises is conducted with the active collaboration of the invited stakeholders. The final step aims to validate scoping results and develop dependency networks between organizations and the identified ecosystem services. The approach was tested in the Arrábida Natural Park, a marine and coastal protected area in Portugal. Invited participants were able to identify an extensive list of ecosystem services in the natural area, establish linkages between those services and human wellbeing, identify drivers of change and perform a preliminary screening of the associated ecological, social, and economic values. The case study evaluation provided positive feedback on the usefulness of the approach, which advances the existing set of methods for participatory identification of ecosystem services and sets the scene for involvement of stakeholder groups in assessment and management processes.

Integrated Modeling of Coastal and Estuarine Ecosystem Services

In this chapter, we explore integrated modeling (IM) methods and tools supporting adaptive management of estuarine and coastal ecosystems, particularly focusing on participatory system dynamics-based approaches. We describe Mediated Modeling experiences developed in the Guadiana estuary and the Ria Formosa coastal wetland in Portugal and present two integrated models (GUMBO and MIMES) developed to support the valuation of ecosystem services. These cases illustrate a multiscale IM framework underlying a progression from scoping to research and management models. We draw a set of lessons and suggestions for further research on deliberative IM platforms for coastal and estuarine systems.

Tourism Golf Scenarios: The Algarve Case

Sport tourism, in particular golf, is an emerging form of tourism. This is the case in the Algarve region where golf has significant economic, social and environmental impacts. This paper presents a sustainability assessment framework developed for the Algarves golf courses. Sustainable golf development (SGD) was analysed from an integrated perspective: economic, financial and environmental. A scenario methodology was used to measure the long-term golf development impacts at different supply levels, given the core indicators defined for each dimension of analysis. It was concluded that SGD in the Algarve should be framed within high service and environmental quality standards, with a supply of between 29 and 41 golf courses.

Engaging Stakeholders in Environmental and Sustainability Decisions with Participatory System Dynamics Modeling

Modeling with “problem-owners” is one of the defining features of system dynamics. Participatory system dynamics modeling aims at involving stakeholders in the conceptualization, specification, and synthesis of knowledge and experience into a useful model, for the purpose of addressing dynamic complexity of socio-ecological problems. This chapter starts by introducing the system dynamics method and the fundamental concepts of feedback, nonlinearities, and time delays. Qualitative and quantitative tools for building system dynamics models are introduced, namely causal loop and stock-and-flow diagrams. The chapter proceeds by describing and illustrating participatory modeling approaches based on this method. The main stages and activities of a generic participatory modeling process are presented, followed by an illustrative case study conducted in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, in Portugal. This experience shows how participatory modeling with system dynamics provides a knowledge-sharing platform wherein the modeling steps are embedded in broader processes of stakeholder participation in environmental assessment, planning, and management. The concluding section explores the potential for combining participatory modeling with visioning and multi-criteria decision tools in integrative modeling platforms. This opens the possibilities for further exploring the role of participatory system dynamics modeling in promoting active stakeholder engagement in environmental and sustainability decisions.

Conceptualizing Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Ecosystem Services: A Participatory Systems Mapping Approach

Abstract A participatory system dynamics modelling approach is advanced to support conceptualization of feedback processes underlying ecosystem services and to foster a shared understanding of leverage intervention points. The process includes systems mapping workshop and follow-up tasks aiming at the collaborative construction of causal loop diagrams. A case study developed in a natural area in Portugal illustrates how a stakeholder group was actively engaged in the development of a conceptual model depicting policies for sustaining the climate regulation ecosystem service.

Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Participatory Modeling to Elicit Behavioral Drivers in Environmental Dilemmas: the Case of Air Pollution in Talca, Chile

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the exploration of environmental modeling methods based on the elicitation of stakeholders’ mental models. This aim is motivated by the necessity to understand the dilemmas and behavioral rationales of individuals for supporting the management of environmental problems. The methodology developed for this paper integrates qualitative and quantitative methods by deploying focus groups for the elicitation of the behavioral rationales of the target population, and grounded theory to code the information gained in the focus groups and to guide the development of a dynamic simulation model. The approach is applied to a case of urban air pollution caused by residential heating with wood in central Chile. The results show how the households’ behavior interrelates with the governmental management strategies and provide valuable and novel insights into potential challenges to the implementation of policies to manage the local air pollution problem. The experience further shows that the developed participatory modeling approach allows to overcome some of the issues currently encountered in the elicitation of individuals’ behavioral rationales and in the quantification of qualitative information.

Integrated Deliberative Decision Processes for Water Resources Planning and Evaluation - ADVISOR

Integrated Deliberative Decision Processes for Water Resources Planning and Evaluation is part of the ADVISOR (“Integrated Evaluation for Sustainable River Basin Governance”) research project funded by the EC, under the “Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development” theme of the 5th Framework Research Programme. The aim of ADVISOR is to improve the understanding of evaluation processes as part of river basin planning and management and to provide a framework supported by a toolkit for the conduct of integrated and participatory evaluations. Integrated Deliberative Decision Processes for Water Resources Planning and Evaluation is Work Package 4 of the project and helps to transfer the experience and lessons learned during the ADVISOR project to policy makers, contributing especially to the implementation process of the Water Framework Directive. An Integrated Deliberative Decision Process (IDDP) is proposed to be adopted as the platform to achieve integrated evaluations and this book explains and provides a step-by-step guidance on how to design and run such a process. Integrated Deliberative Decision Processes for Water Resources Planning and Evaluation has been written especially for policy makers, with theoretical reflections also provided where these bear importance to practical implementation. This title belongs to European Water Research Series ISBN: 9781843391678 (Print) ISBN: 9781780402314 (eBook)