Impact Case Studies

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The national parks, nature reserves and wetlands of the semi-
arid wheatbelt of Western Australia, with their rich diversity of
flora and fauna, are the backdrop for this research to improve
the management of natural resources in the 21st century.
The project combines the latest ideas in computer science at the
University of Nottingham with the pioneering ambitions of forward-
thinking Australian environmental planners at the Department for
Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) of the Western Australian Government.
The research has created new survey tools and intelligent data
software to inform decision-making at government level in the field
of sustainable development and environmental policy planning.
The research question is how to combine quantitative information
such as species diversity, salinity, etc. with the actual (qualitative)
values that stakeholders such as residents, farmers, and industry
attach to a wide variety of biological assets in Western Australia -
thus enabling tailored environmental management which delivers on
human value expectations. This is a complicated problem to solve, as
two different types of information need to be brought together, while
allowing for the uncertainty inherent in each dataset.
To answer this research question, a series of novel techniques
for the collection of uncertain information has been developed,
including new survey tools for human data acquisition which enable
the efficient capture of participant opinion and uncertainty around a
given response.
The information is subsequently aggregated through newly
developed algorithms which are designed to combine both
quantitative and qualitative information while producing human-
interpretable outputs, including sensitivity and cost-benefit analyses
which account for data uncertainty and support comprehensive and
informed decision making.
Dr Christian Wagner, computer scientist in Horizon and project lead,
says: “Being able to aggregate these different information sources
in a coherent way to enable informed decision making is vital both
in order for the decisions to be appropriate to the specific context
as well as to maintain due transparency in the decision process. We
need to solve the problem of how to maximise the use of available
conservation funds and human resources through combining
innovative data collection and analysis techniques to accurately
reflect the quantitative data available as well as the subjective views
of stakeholders.”
Currently, the resulting system has been deployed as a cloud-
based service and is applied and evaluated in the context of the
environmental management of several wetland conservation sites
across Western Australia. These wetlands, managed by DPaW,
are recognised worldwide for their ecological importance and are
under immense pressure from climate change and surrounding land
use. Thus, a comprehensive strategy transparently integrating the
available information and priorities is urgently needed.
Dr Michael Smith, from the Western Australian Department of
Parks and Wildlife added: “We hope that our work will allow nature
conservation managers to better understand and account for the
actual values that humans derive from our natural environment.
This is important because good management should be driven by
the values that are important to people, it gives local stakeholders
ownership of the process and helps to create transparency for
people to understand why and how conservation is occurring.”
Beyond this project, the outcomes will help to inform complex
decision-making more generally. Dr Wagner continues: “This
project has the potential to inform policy making in environmental
conservation all over the world. Further, decisions ranging from
town-planning to the construction of new power plants and
transport infrastructure generally require consultation with a wide
variety of groups, including local and regional stakeholders as
well as incorporating information from various sources including
surveys, impact studies and sensor measurements.” It is hoped
the approach will ultimately be adopted by government and non-
government organisations alike, and be applicable to a diverse range
of management applications, including town planning and natural
resource management.
In October 2014, the team behind this EPSRC funded project
was awarded an EPSRC Impact Accelerator grant which builds
on the research already undertaken, as well as specific funding
from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to look
at comprehensive decision support in the context of infrastructure
development and flood prevention in and around the Thames
Estuary, UK. This work is conducted together with the Thames
Estuary Partnership (TEP) and DPaW.
For further information, please contact:
Dr Christian Wagner
Email:
Towards data-driven environmental policy design