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Comparative study of
environmental impact assessment methods along with a new
dynamic system-based method
Nouri, J.1*,
Jassbi, J.2, Jafarzadeh, N.3,
Abbaspour, M.4 and Varshosaz, K.1
1Department
of Environmental Management, Graduate School of the
Environment and Energy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic
Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2Department
of Management, School of Management, Science and Research
Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
3Department of Environmental Health, School of Public
Health, Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
4Department
of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology,
Tehran, Iran.
*Corresponding author.
E-mail:
nourijafar@gmail.com. Tel.: +9821-4486 5666.
Fax: +9821- 4486 5003.
Accepted 14
May, 2009 |
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Environmental Impacts Assessment has been developed as a
critically substantial approach to determine, predict and
interpret the ecological impact on the environment, public
hygiene and healthy ecosystems. This study aims to introduce
and systematically investigate the environmental issues
during important decision-making stages. Meanwhile, impacts
of development on the environmental components will be also
analyzed. This research studies various methods of
predicting the environmental changes and determining the
impacts through both qualitative and quantitative methods.
Qualitative approaches rely fully upon the expert's
decisions, while quantitative ones are entirely based on
mathematical methods where the relations between the
elements are expressed through variables and parameters.
Then both approaches required be comparing and contrasting.
Among these methods, expertise method, check list, matrix,
overlaying maps and networks are crucially considerable.
These methods, based on the static variables, mostly
describe the relations which are constant over time. The
most important objective of this study is providing a
dynamic model of the environmental assessment based on
dynamic variables. Such a model can define changeable
relations. Therefore, to present a new model based on system
dynamics, the environmental components and changes due to
the project have been considered as a set of interrelated
elements and variables. There are some variables as input
element whose interrelations and mutual effects are
considered as a process which leads to the output of the
system. This research investigates the existing dynamism
among the components affecting the environmental assessment.
Static and single function systems cannot make real
simulation. Thus, this research benefits from dynamic
systems that can display multifunctional structures, model
nonlinear and time delays, as a means of Environmental
Impacts Assessment.
Key
words:
Simulation, dynamic system, dynamic variables, input
elements, output elements, environmental component and
environmental impact. |
