11 October 2007

Call for papers: Modelling Practices for Decision-making in Environmental Policy

Call for papers: Modelling Practices for Decision-making in Environmental Policy

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Policy and Decision Making

An applied model is a mathematical tool aimed at analysing the likely impacts of a given policy on a complex system. The impacts may concern the environment, the economy or the society as a whole. The objective of this special issue is to provide decision-makers and policy practitioners with some representative examples of how applied modelling may help in designing and implementing sound and efficient environmental policies.

Many modelling approaches coexist and each of them has its own strengths and shortcomings. In order to comprehensively address the overall impacts of environmental policies, these tools should try to tackle some of the five following methodological features: interdisciplinarity, uncertainty, local and global dimensions, short and long term perspectives and participation of stakeholders. Instead of searching for the “all-in-one” model, we advocate that the different classes of models should be seen as complementary and used adequately, i.e., taking into account their own specificities. Explaining and illustrating the specificities of the different kinds of applied models is one of the objectives on this special issue. The focus is on applications, not on technical features.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to:
  • Multi-agent models
  • CGE models
  • Integrated assessment models
  • Bayesian networks
  • Optimisation models
  • Multi-stage models
  • Neural networks
  • Econometric models
  • Systems dynamics
  • Fuzzy system models
Important Dates
Paper submission: 1 February, 2008
Revised version: 1 June, 2008
Acceptance: 1 August, 2008

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