Impact Assessment is becoming part and parcel of an increasing number of development proposals in the UK and Europe. As the practice of Impact Assessment develops it becomes more standardized and good practice starts to be defined. However, the quality of Impact Assessment is still far from satisfactory. Expert Systems and GIS for Impact Assessment

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is now firmly established as an important and often obligatory part of proposing or launching any development project. Delivering a successful EIA needs not only an understanding of the theory but also a detailed knowledge of the methods for carrying out the processes required. Peter Morris and Riki Therivel bring together the latest advice on best practice from experienced practitioners to ensure an EIA is carried out correctly. This new edition: • explains how an EIA works and how it should be carried out • demonstrates the relationship of the EIA to socio-economic, environmental and ecological systems • includes completely updated legislative and policy contexts • has added explanations of shared and integrative methods including a new chapter on EIA and sustainability. Invaluable to undergraduate and MSc students of EIA in planning, ecology, geography and environment courses, this third edition of Methods of Environmental Impact Assessment is also of great use to planners, EIA practitioners and professionals seeking to update their skills.

This comprehensive Handbook describes the implementation of SEA in 18 countries around the world, as well as a critical analysis of different SEA methodologies. It introduces key SEA principles and the legal requirements of the new European SEA Directive, which became law in 2004, and describes the implementation of SEA in 11 European Union countries, as well as the USA, Canada and New Zealand. This is contrasted with SEA requirements of four developing countries.

Since becoming editor-in-chief in 2009 Thomas Fischer has overseen the publication of 22 issues of the Journal of Environmental and Policy Management. This wide-ranging and thought-provoking volume presents a selection of papers from this period. A number of these papers discuss the topics of the journal's special issues. The others offer various international and comparative perspectives on the development and implementation of environmental assessment (EA) and strategic environmental assessment (SEA). By drawing on the expertise of a number of global experts, this comprehensive volume considers the challenges, successes and progress of EA/SEA policy and management since 2009. This volume is perfect for students and researchers interested in environmental policy and its implementation and management.

A revision of Openshaw and Abrahart’s seminal work, GeoComputation, Second Edition retains influences of its originators while also providing updated, state-of-the-art information on changes in the computational environment. In keeping with the field’s development, this new edition takes a broader view and provides comprehensive coverage across the field of GeoComputation. See What’s New in the Second Edition: Coverage of ubiquitous computing, the GeoWeb, reproducible research, open access, and agent-based modelling Expanded chapter on Genetic Programming and a separate chapter developed on Evolutionary Algorithms Ten chapters updated by the same or new authors and eight new chapters added to reflect state of the art Each chapter is a stand-alone entity that covers a particular topic. You can simply dip in and out or read it from cover to cover. The opening chapter by Stan Openshaw has been preserved, with only a limited number of minor essential modifications having been enacted. This is not just a matter of respect. Openshaw’s work is eloquent, prophetic, and his overall message remains largely unchanged. In contrast to other books on this subject, GeoComputation: Second Edition supplies a state-of-the-art review of all major areas in GeoComputation with chapters written especially for this book by invited specialists. This approach helps develop and expand a computational culture, one that can exploit the ever-increasing richness of modern geographical and geospatial datasets. It also supplies an instructional guide to be kept within easy reach for regular access and when need arises.

A comprehensive, clearly structured and readable overview of the subject, Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment has established itself as the leading introduction to EIA worldwide. This fifth edition is a major update reflecting many significant changes in EIA procedures, process, practice and prospects over the last decade. In particular, it includes: a much more international dimension, drawing on EIA activities worldwide; an up-to-date coverage of the revised EU EIA Directive and its implementation; the associated update of contemporary UK procedures and practice; best practice on evolving methods in the EIA process; a rich array of UK and many international case studies; a new coverage of emerging EIA impact topics, including equality/deprivation; culture; resettlement; climate change; ecosystem services; and risk, resilience and cumulative impacts; an appraisal of some next steps in the EIA process, including a more effective and proportionate EIA; the impact of technological change; the changing interpretation of the project; project implementation, monitoring and adaptive management; and moves towards a more integrated impact assessment. Together, these topics act as a kind of action list for future EIA; the development of SEA legislation and practice in the UK, EU and worldwide; and a set of appendices containing key legislation and an EIS review framework. It is also makes full use of colour illustrations and chapter questions for discussion. Written by two authors with extensive research, training and consultancy experience of EIA, this book brings together the most up-to-date information from many sources. Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment 5th Edition provides a complete, and critical, introductory text that also supports further studies. Students in undergraduate and postgraduate planning programmes will find it essential as a course text, as will students of environmental management/policy, environmental sciences/studies, geography and built environment. Key stakeholders involved in assessment activities – planners, developers, community groups, pressure groups and decision-makers in government and business – will also welcome this latest edition as a very effective means of getting to grips with the many facets of this important and evolving subject that affects a widening range of development projects.

This volume focuses on the close relationship between geomorphology and environmental impact assessment, and provides a wide-ranging overview of this topic. It includes several case studies covering a variety of environmental impacts derived from human activities (quarrying, communication infrastructure etc.) on different geomorphologic components (landforms, soil, landscapes etc.) and environments (glacial, fluvial, coastal etc.) The case studies presented offer a methodological guide from the most traditional geomorphological approaches through to the use of spatial data analysis and GIS tools and techniques. Environmental Impact Assessment is a relatively new scientific branch in which a wide variety of specialists are increasingly becoming involved. This volume will be of interest to geomorphologists, biologists, geographers, architects and engineers.

This book provides an extensive review of three interrelated issues: land fragmentation, land consolidation, and land reallocation, and it presents in detail the theoretical background, design, development and application of a prototype integrated planning and decision support system for land consolidation. The system integrates geographic information systems (GIS) and artificial intelligence techniques including expert systems (ES) and genetic algorithms (GAs) with multi-criteria decision methods (MCDM), both multi-attribute (MADM) and multi-objective (MODM). The system is based on four modules for measuring land fragmentation; automatically generating alternative land redistribution plans; evaluating those plans; and automatically designing the land partitioning plan. The presented research provides a new scientific framework for land-consolidation planning both in terms of theory and practice, by presenting new findings and by developing better tools and methods embedded in an integrated GIS environment. It also makes a valuable contribution to the fields of GIS and spatial planning, as it provides new methods and ideas that could be applied to improve the former for the benefit of the latter in the context of planning support systems. “From the 1960s, ambitious research activities set out to observe regarding IT-support of the complex and time consuming redistribution processes within land consolidation – without any practically relevant results, until now. This scientific work is likely to close that gap. This distinguished publication is highly recommended to land consolidation planning experts, researchers and academics alike.” – Prof. Dr.-Ing. Joachim Thomas, Münster/ Germany "Planning support systems take new scientific tools based on GIS, optimisation and simulation and use these to inform the process of plan-making and policy. This book is one of the first to show how this can be consistently done and it is a triumph of demonstrating how such systems can be made operational. Essential reading for planners, analysts and GI scientists." – Prof. Michael Batty, University College London

Here, the author provides professionals in environmental research and management with the information they need with respect to computer modeling: An understanding of the mathematical fundamentals and the choice of the optimal approach and corresponding software for their particular task. - Numerous illustrations, flowcharts and graphs, partly in color, as well as worked examples help in comprehending complex mathematical tasks and their solutions without the use of confusing mathematical formalism; - Case studies from various fields of environmental research, such as landscape ecology, environmental assessment, population ecology, hydrology, and agroecology, facilitate the application of simulation models to the solution of real-world problems; - Contains a detailed summary of currently available software tools and the application in spatially explicit simulation based on geographic information systems. The worked examples and case studies cover a broad range of environmental systems and processes, adopting such modern mathematical methodology as partial differential equations, fuzzy logic, hybrid Petri nets, and optimum control theory. The result is a unique presentation of applications for high standard modeling and simulation methodologies in the interdisciplinary fields of environmental research. From the Foreword by Robert Costanza (Gund Institute of Ecological Economics, Burlington, VT, USA): "As a teacher of environmental modeling, I've been searching for many years for the perfect text to use courses. My search has ended with the publication of Ralf Seppelt's book and I intend to use it as a core text in modeling courses."