Environmental and resource applications
is sufficiently complex to allow for comparison of trade-offs among
outputs, as in the real-world. The geography of Prospero Bay is shown
in figure 1.
Running along the mouth of the bay is a relatively pristine coral reef
and a commercially exploited oyster bed. A residual surface current
flows into the bay from the south between the coral reef and Fellugia
Head. Four watersheds discharge into the ocean. A dune system has developed seaward of a ridge running from west of Fellugia Head to just
south of the Partonio river mouth. Shallow waters in the north of the
bay provide spawning grounds for anadromous fish, sustaining a local
fishery. Avon city lies on rhe north coast, just below a large forest.
From the high land of the forest, the topography slopes downwards to
the alluvial plain of the Magnifico river. A marsh lies to the south of
the river and inland, bordering the marsh, is the city of Chimayo. Above
the floodplain is a fertile plateau dominated by agricultural crops. The
major centres of population are the cities of Chimayo and Avon.
Elsewhere, the zone is sparsely populated. Industry is located within
the cities, with an integrated paper mill and numerous electroplating
activities in Avon. Chimayo is a major international port, and there are
sand mining operations on the coast between the Partonio and Segundo
rivers as well as logging activities in the forest to service a paper mill.
Tourism is confined to the marsh and dune area.
Within the bay there are demands for multiple products and services,
with each resource being subject to very different, but interrelated,
conflicts. For example, the effects of erosion from the sand and dune
mining operation are leading to a build up of coarse sediment on the
beach at Avon City. The beach is unsuitable for recreation, yet serves
a role in flood defence. Hence, increases in the volume of the beach will
reduce the maintenance costs of the sea wall protecting the city. However,
although there is a net increase in the amount of sediment forming
the beach, it is also undergoing some erosion with sediment moving
out into the bay. This has a particularly adverse impact upon spawning
in the fisheries.
The Prospero Bay model has been developed with the input of scientists
from a range of disciplines. The rationale for the model is that underlying science should be as realistic as possible, whilst ensuring ease of
use for policy makers. Both the front-end and the ICZM modelling
modules are written in Microsoft Visual Basic, and are designed around
a multiple-windows environment. The users are initially presented
with an introduction screen that allows them to obtain an overview of
the rationale behind the system, or more detailed information on the
resources and conflicts within the Bay (fig. 2). Low, medium, and high
economic growth scenarios can also be specified from here, and the
planning horizon may be set for any period up to ten years. Each resource
within Prospero Bay has its own resource allocation screen whereby
the user may review the current characteristics of the resource, and
alter those that are variable so as to test the impacts of different management scenarios.
201
is sufficiently complex to allow for comparison of trade-offs among
outputs, as in the real-world. The geography of Prospero Bay is shown
in figure 1.
Running along the mouth of the bay is a relatively pristine coral reef
and a commercially exploited oyster bed. A residual surface current
flows into the bay from the south between the coral reef and Fellugia
Head. Four watersheds discharge into the ocean. A dune system has developed seaward of a ridge running from west of Fellugia Head to just
south of the Partonio river mouth. Shallow waters in the north of the
bay provide spawning grounds for anadromous fish, sustaining a local
fishery. Avon city lies on rhe north coast, just below a large forest.
From the high land of the forest, the topography slopes downwards to
the alluvial plain of the Magnifico river. A marsh lies to the south of
the river and inland, bordering the marsh, is the city of Chimayo. Above
the floodplain is a fertile plateau dominated by agricultural crops. The
major centres of population are the cities of Chimayo and Avon.
Elsewhere, the zone is sparsely populated. Industry is located within
the cities, with an integrated paper mill and numerous electroplating
activities in Avon. Chimayo is a major international port, and there are
sand mining operations on the coast between the Partonio and Segundo
rivers as well as logging activities in the forest to service a paper mill.
Tourism is confined to the marsh and dune area.
Within the bay there are demands for multiple products and services,
with each resource being subject to very different, but interrelated,
conflicts. For example, the effects of erosion from the sand and dune
mining operation are leading to a build up of coarse sediment on the
beach at Avon City. The beach is unsuitable for recreation, yet serves
a role in flood defence. Hence, increases in the volume of the beach will
reduce the maintenance costs of the sea wall protecting the city. However,
although there is a net increase in the amount of sediment forming
the beach, it is also undergoing some erosion with sediment moving
out into the bay. This has a particularly adverse impact upon spawning
in the fisheries.
The Prospero Bay model has been developed with the input of scientists
from a range of disciplines. The rationale for the model is that underlying science should be as realistic as possible, whilst ensuring ease of
use for policy makers. Both the front-end and the ICZM modelling
modules are written in Microsoft Visual Basic, and are designed around
a multiple-windows environment. The users are initially presented
with an introduction screen that allows them to obtain an overview of
the rationale behind the system, or more detailed information on the
resources and conflicts within the Bay (fig. 2). Low, medium, and high
economic growth scenarios can also be specified from here, and the
planning horizon may be set for any period up to ten years. Each resource
within Prospero Bay has its own resource allocation screen whereby
the user may review the current characteristics of the resource, and
alter those that are variable so as to test the impacts of different management scenarios.
201