Innovative Decision Support
Tools for Risk Based
Environmental Management
MOKKAHungarian National R&D Program
NKFP 3-020-05
Website of the project:
http://www.mokkka.hu
Supported organisations
– Aqua Concorde Water Analysis and Water Technology Ltd(Koordinátor cég)
– Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME)
– RISSAC (MTA-TAKI)
– ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND WATER MANAGEMENT RESEARCH INSTITUTENON-PROFIT COMPANY (VITUKI Kht.)
– VITUKI CONSULT Co.
– CycloLab Cyclodextrin R&D Laboratory Ltd (CycloLab)
– DigiKom Ltd (Digikom)
– Association of Environmental Enterprises (KSZGYSZ)
Overview
• Object of environmental
management
• Difficulties of
environmental decision
making
• Support provided by
MOKKA
Environmental management
• The environmental risks of an economical activity depend on
– activity and diligence of the company and
– wide range environmental consequents of activity,
– what depends on outer company factors.
• The risks of economical activity is theoretically uncertain so environmental management play „art of impossibility” (B. Wynne 1987.).
Role of environmental management - 1
• The environmental policy of
organisations is affected by
inner and outer effects
Role of environmental management - 2
The environmental management is getting stronger because of the rigor of environmental rules;
The role of risk
management is to
handle risk;
– recognise risk,
– Identify hazard,
– Decrease or
minimise risk,
– prevention (prevent
from ensue or
physical removal)
Role of environmental management - 3
• Wide range of objects– Fulfill the environmental regulations;
– Ensure the operation in competitive market
• Scope of duties:– Operate the early warning system (prepare and make
decision against results or prevention)
– Treat harms (emergency, persistent environmental pollution).
Decision mechanism
• Treat of environmental problems are non
programmable decisions (Simon, 1982.)
– Unique;
– Problems are unstructured;
– Steps have long-term effects.
– Decisions affect wide areas and many
people.
• It makes the tasks difficult.
Decision situation in
environmental
protection
• By new investment
ordered by law
• Change regulations
• Rules of authorities
• Treat emergencies
• Treat persistent
environmental harms
Forms of decision
making
(strategic decisions)
• Infrequent, rare
• Unstructured (or
unknown) problem
• Complex
• Unstable decision
• Many participants
Parameters of environmental
decisions - 1• Frequently set on irreversible or costly and hardly reversible
processes,
• Preparation needs long terms
• Execution is costly,
• Results are valuable only after years or decades,
• Methodology is weak because of the badly structured problem background,
• Information to solutions is poor and unreliable,
• Solution has to fit to more targets,
• There are a lot of non economical targets in many cases,
• The economical decisions are followed by conflicts because of many participants and targets
• Create more scenarios is necessary.
Parameters of environmental
decisions - 2
• The management can commit two kinds of
mistakes related to environmental
responsibility:
–Upper or overestimation of business
prospects of environmental challenges
in developing aspects in the future.
–Overrate or undervalue the boundaries
of the economical challenges.
Pitfalls of economical decisions
(treatment of polluted areas)
• The weakest links of decisions in the course of
remediation:
– Targets are indefinite
• Differences between targets of decision makers and
expectations of authorities;
• Uncertain knowledge at task assignment;
– Possibilities to take care on boundaries
• The strict compliance with the law is unconsidered to reality,
so the unsuccessful execution is determined;
– Decisions of authorities do not handle the principle of
gradation.
Aspects of DSS building
• To develop a DSS is
necessary to analyse the
elemental decision
situations and
mechanisms
– Points of
environmental
protection
– Points of policies
– Legal points
– Economical points
– Points of society
• The environmental protection has an important role in political decisions and affects the economical life.
• The environment policy has emerging influence in national economy and corporate governance.
• The treat of environmental problems and environmental protection are interdisciplinary. The legal and economical aspects have influence beside the environmental, natural, chemical and biological basis.
Objects of MOKKA
• Show harm reduction technologies –
focused on innovative technologies
/database/
• Operation of Decision Support System
(DSS)
• WEB-based operation
• Easy to understand
• Easy tu use
Bases of MOKKA DSS
Database
• Technology
• Technological
elements
• Examination
methodologies
(physical-chemical,
biological, ecotoxical)
Knowledge base
• Legal knowledge
• Examination
methodology
• Modeling
• Risk analysis
Target audience
• Market members,
• Law makers,
• Authorities,
• Managers,
• Contractors,
• Environment users