2011 Volume 32 Issue 2 Pages 63-77
Systems methodologies constitute an implementation science to address complex environmental problems from a Vitae Systems of Systems perspective. The aim of Implementation Science is to obtain sustainable, fair and responsible solutions that satisfy as much as possible the value systems of stakeholders while upholding the Vitae principles of survivability, viability and conviviality. To represent the environmental and other societal problems under investigation, the insightful concept of a system of systems is adopted. For example, the Vitae viewpoint on solutions to global warming problems at the regional, national or international level is captured in the interactions of societal systems, such as industrial and service systems, with atmospheric, oceanic and land systems. To tackle the strategic aspects of complex systems of systems problems, there is a rich variety of systems engineering decision tools that can handle multiple stakeholders with multiple objectives; these tools are explained and compared according to their inherent capabilities.
To demonstrate how systems tools can implement a Vitae Systems of Systems philosophy, three different techniques are applied to complex large-scale environmental and water resources management problems. The Graph Model for Conflict Resolution is used to address the large-scale environmental problem that arose over a massive irrigation project proposed for the US state of North Dakota - the infamous Garrison Diversion Unit. Next, a large-scale optimization model, integrating concepts from hydrology, economics and cooperative game theory, is employed to identify fair and feasible allocations of water resources among users in the South Saskatchewan River Basin located in southern Alberta, Canada. Finally, Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis techniques are used to assess different strategies to satisfy future water demand from multiple stakeholders within the Regional Municipality of Waterloo situated in southern Ontario, Canada.
