Specifications for interactive environmental management

The application of large-scale computer modeling to the analysis of public policy issues has received much attention due to efforts of Forrester and others during the 1960's [1]. This trend has continued during the 1970's as we wrestled to resolve many complex issues such as the protection of the environment. In response to the need for comprehensive assessment of environmental quality, the development of a large-scale computer model called SEAS was initiated by EPA in 1972. Although SEAS has provided EPA with a framework for the collection, storage, and treatment of environmental data, it has increasingly become apparent that SEAS has several major limitations that preclude its usefulness as a strategic environmental management tool. In this correspondence, major limitations of using large-scale models like SEAS are reviewed, key design specifications, are offered, and a design process to ameliorate some of the limitations of using such models for envimental management are proposed.