Design and Implementation of an Environmental Decision Support System: tools, attributes and challenges

This paper presents the approach and findings related to the implementation of an Environmental Decision Support System (EDSS), designed to assist the Moroccan national decision makers, in particular, in their evaluation of the state of the environment, and in their approach to sustainable development and environmental policymaking. We describe the background of the environmental situation in Morocco and the need that drives the development of an EDSS. The EDSS offers a number of salient features and attributes that help with framing the decision making process, ranging from the management and monitoring of indicators, modelling of environmental problems using a knowledge-based approach, uncertainty handling using fuzzy logic, dissemination of information with the society, as well as stakeholder involvement. The description of these features is linked to the main system components and tools. We also discuss some of the major challenges we faced during the different project phases in spite of the recognized importance of the EDSS for environmental management and evaluation at the highest levels. We discuss the perhaps most problematic set of challenges, namely elicitation of the requirements, scarcity of data and knowledge, and failure to define clear criteria to frame the selection of relevant indicators. 1. Background Morocco is a mountainous country, vulnerable to both marine and Saharan influences. The increase in population has conducted to an increase of the gross domestic product (GDP), which stressed by deficient resource management, has led to the degradation of the environment. The annual cost of environmental damage has been estimated at nearly 4.8% of Morocco’s GDP (World Bank, 2002). Morocco is a country that lacks natural resources, especially arable land and water. During the last years, intensive agricultural production, uncontrolled irrigation schemes, industrialization, and urbanization have made the country subject to enormous problems. The country has suffered from severe air and water pollution, soil erosion, and environmental health degradation. The country is also subject to impacts of global climate change. Forest ecosystems and biodiversity are threatened by deforestation. Emissions of greenhouse gases increase, and access to safe drinking water in rural areas is still below expectations. As for liquid sanitation, it remains a problem. Water resources quality can be altered by uncontrolled sewage or siltation of reservoirs; and coastal waters suffer sometimes from oil pollution; and despite the construction of social housing, some citizens still live in unhealthy places [1]. The main approach adopted by Morocco to achieve the targets of sustainable development (SD) is environmental. One of the initiatives that support the Moroccan strategy for sustainable development is the establishment in 2010 of a National Charter for the Environment and Sustainable Development CNEDD [2] which constitutes a positive and constructive action. Its aim is to: 1) consider the preservation of the environment and sustainable development as a national priority, 2) to disseminate awareness among citizens, all managers, whether public enterprises or 1 Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, [email protected], Computer Science Department 2 Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, [email protected], Computer Science Department 3 University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fès, Morocco, [email protected], Physics Department Copyright 2014 BIS-Verlag, Oldenburg, ISBN: 978-3-8142-2317-9