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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Atollgame: A Companion Modelling Experience In The Pacific, A Dray, Pascal Perez, Christophe Le Page, Patrick D'Aquino, Ian White Nov 2012

Atollgame: A Companion Modelling Experience In The Pacific, A Dray, Pascal Perez, Christophe Le Page, Patrick D'Aquino, Ian White

Professor Pascal Perez

Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) have been developed to study the interaction between societies and the environment. Here we use MAS in conjunction with a Companion Modelling (ComMod) approach to develop a Negotiation Support System for groundwater management in Tarawa, Republic of Kiribati. In agreement with the complex and dynamic nature of the processes under study, the ComMod approach requires a permanent and iterative confrontation between theories and field circumstances. Therefore, it is based on repetitive back and forth steps between the model and the field situation. The methodology applied in Tarawa relies on 3 successive stages. First, a Global Targeted Appraisal …


Choosing A Fishery's Governance Structure Using Data Poor Methods, Cathy Dichmont, S Pascoe, Edward Jebreem, R Pears, Kate Brooks, Pascal Perez Nov 2012

Choosing A Fishery's Governance Structure Using Data Poor Methods, Cathy Dichmont, S Pascoe, Edward Jebreem, R Pears, Kate Brooks, Pascal Perez

Professor Pascal Perez

No abstract provided.


Complex Science For A Complex World: An Introduction, Pascal Perez, David Batten Nov 2012

Complex Science For A Complex World: An Introduction, Pascal Perez, David Batten

Professor Pascal Perez

No abstract provided.


Safe Water For People In Low, Small Island Pacific Nations: The Rural-Urban Dilemma, Ian White, Tony Falkland, Taboia Metutera, Mourongo Katatia, Tererei Abete-Reema, Marc Overmars, Pascal Perez, Anne Dray Nov 2012

Safe Water For People In Low, Small Island Pacific Nations: The Rural-Urban Dilemma, Ian White, Tony Falkland, Taboia Metutera, Mourongo Katatia, Tererei Abete-Reema, Marc Overmars, Pascal Perez, Anne Dray

Professor Pascal Perez

The issue of ensuring that growing communities in small island countries have access to safe water and adequate sanitation is examined in Kiribati, whose islands are spread over three million square kilometres in the central Pacific. Its coral island communities have water supply and sanitation problems among the most difficult in the world. Formulaic developed-world approaches, models, techniques and toolboxes that do not consider the social and cultural context have had little success. Changes in approach at the international, national and local levels are called for, and the resourcing of village-level water and sanitation committees would return ownership and control …


Simdrug: Tackling The Complexity Of Illicit Drug Markets In Australia, Pascal Perez, A Dray, Alison Ritter, Paul Dietze, T Moore, Lorraine Mazerolle Nov 2012

Simdrug: Tackling The Complexity Of Illicit Drug Markets In Australia, Pascal Perez, A Dray, Alison Ritter, Paul Dietze, T Moore, Lorraine Mazerolle

Professor Pascal Perez

Complexity of illicit drug markets mirrors the complexity of illicit drug use itself. The intricacy of multiple interactions between individuals, the various time lines linked to different aspects of harm reduction, and contrasted social rationalities observed among field practitioners (prevention, law enforcement, harm reduction) contribute to the creation of complex and unpredictable systems. In order to explore this complexity, an Agent-Based Model (ABM) called SimDrug was designed. The prototype model includes users, dealers, wholesalers, outreach workers and police forces. The model is focused upon local drug market and the hot spots in Melbourne. The time span for the model is …


A Spatial Agent-Based Model To Explore Scenarios Of Adaptation To Climate Change In An Alpine Tourism Destination, Stefano Balbi, Pascal Perez, Carlo Giupponi Nov 2012

A Spatial Agent-Based Model To Explore Scenarios Of Adaptation To Climate Change In An Alpine Tourism Destination, Stefano Balbi, Pascal Perez, Carlo Giupponi

Professor Pascal Perez

A vast body of literature suggests that the European Alpine region may be one of the most sensitive to climate change impacts. Adaptation to climate change of Alpine socioecosystems is increasingly becoming an issue of interest for the scientific community while the people of the Alps are often unaware of or simply ignore the problem. ClimAlpTour is a European research project of the Alpine Space Programme, bringing together institutions and scholars from all countries of the Alpine arch, in view of dealing with the expected decrease in snow and ice cover, which may lead to a rethinking of tourism development …


One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish: The Use Of Simple Agent-Based Models And Role-Play Games To Communicate Key Messages To Community Groups, Deborah Cleland, Rollan Geronimo, A Dray, Pascal Perez, Abigail Trinidad Nov 2012

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish: The Use Of Simple Agent-Based Models And Role-Play Games To Communicate Key Messages To Community Groups, Deborah Cleland, Rollan Geronimo, A Dray, Pascal Perez, Abigail Trinidad

Professor Pascal Perez

The principal anthropogenic factors driving reef degradation have been known for years, if not decades. Overfishing, sedimentation and nutrient loads are just some of the key impacts of human activities in and around reef communities. Therefore, the future of reefs does not rely on generating new knowledge, but rather on implementing and integrating the knowledge we already have. This will require creating effective links between researchers, managers and communities to promote mutual learning, negotiation and collaborative action for reef management. Combining agent-based models and role-play games, through a technique known as Companion Modelling (ComMod), creates a dynamic and interactive setting …


Coupling Biophysical And Socioeconomic Models For Coral Reef Systems In Quintana Roo, Mexican Caribbean, Deborah Cleland, Jess Melbourne-Thomas, Craig Johnson, Pascal Perez, Jeremy Eustache, Elizabeth Fulton Nov 2012

Coupling Biophysical And Socioeconomic Models For Coral Reef Systems In Quintana Roo, Mexican Caribbean, Deborah Cleland, Jess Melbourne-Thomas, Craig Johnson, Pascal Perez, Jeremy Eustache, Elizabeth Fulton

Professor Pascal Perez

No abstract provided.


Simreef And Reefgame: Gaming For Integrated Reef Research And Management, Deborah Cleland, Anne Dray, Pascal Perez, Rollan Geronimo Nov 2012

Simreef And Reefgame: Gaming For Integrated Reef Research And Management, Deborah Cleland, Anne Dray, Pascal Perez, Rollan Geronimo

Professor Pascal Perez

As threats to coastal and ocean systems grow in scale and complexity, the calls for new approaches to research and management grow in volume. The Modeling and Decision Support Working Group (MDSWG) of the CRTR Program has developed two participatory gaming tools that address the need for integrative approaches to coral reef management. SimReef is a regional model and role-play game aimed at policy makers and industry representatives. It simulates coastal development trajectories and trade-offs between environmental, social and economic concerns. ReefGame is a local-level model and board game that helps local people and reef managers explore interactions between livelihoods, …


Providing Social Science Objectives And Indicators To Compare Management Options In The Queensland Trawl Planning Process, Cathy Dichmont, S Pascoe, E Jebreen, R Pears, Kate Brooks, Pascal Perez Nov 2012

Providing Social Science Objectives And Indicators To Compare Management Options In The Queensland Trawl Planning Process, Cathy Dichmont, S Pascoe, E Jebreen, R Pears, Kate Brooks, Pascal Perez

Professor Pascal Perez

No abstract provided.


Simkat: A Virtual Laboratory To Explore The Impact Of Climate Change Scenarios On The Western Australian Wheat-Belt, A Dray, S Asseng, Pascal Perez, S Charles, B Bates Nov 2012

Simkat: A Virtual Laboratory To Explore The Impact Of Climate Change Scenarios On The Western Australian Wheat-Belt, A Dray, S Asseng, Pascal Perez, S Charles, B Bates

Professor Pascal Perez

The northernmost part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (MBR) runs along the eastern Yucatan peninsula (Mexico). Over two decades, sprawling coastal tourism development and over-exploitation of marine resources have considerably reduced fringing reef's ecological functions. SimReef is an interactive model designed to better understand the interactions between regional and local drivers strongly influencing the health of coral reefs. SimReef's development follows a collective design approach and an inductive process whereby dynamics are represented by data-driven relationships. Experts and stakeholders participate to the designing phase in order to help calibrating the model and to support a consensual validation of the results.


Simamph: An Agent-Based Simulation Model For Exploring The Use Of Psychostimulants And Related Harm Amongst Young Australians, Pascal Perez, Anne Dray, David Moore, Paul Dietze, Gabriele Bammer, Rebecca Jenkinson, Christine Siokou, Rachael Green, Susan Hudson, Lisa Maher Nov 2012

Simamph: An Agent-Based Simulation Model For Exploring The Use Of Psychostimulants And Related Harm Amongst Young Australians, Pascal Perez, Anne Dray, David Moore, Paul Dietze, Gabriele Bammer, Rebecca Jenkinson, Christine Siokou, Rachael Green, Susan Hudson, Lisa Maher

Professor Pascal Perez

Background: Computer simulations provide a useful tool for bringing together diverse sources of information in order to increase understanding of the complex aetiology of drug use and related harm, and to inform the development of effective policies. In this paper, we describe SimAmph, an agent-based simulation model for exploring how individual perceptions, peer influences and subcultural settings shape the use of psychostimulants and related harm amongst young Australians. Methods: We present the conceptual architecture underpinning SimAmph, the assumptions we made in building it, the outcomes of sensitivity analysis of key model parameters and the results obtained when we modelled a …


The Atollgame Experience: From Knowledge Engineering To A Computer-Assisted Role Playing Game, A Dray, Pascal Perez, Natalie Jones, Christophe Le Page, Patrick D'Aquino, Ian White, Titeem Auatabu Nov 2012

The Atollgame Experience: From Knowledge Engineering To A Computer-Assisted Role Playing Game, A Dray, Pascal Perez, Natalie Jones, Christophe Le Page, Patrick D'Aquino, Ian White, Titeem Auatabu

Professor Pascal Perez

This paper presents the methodology developed to collect, understand and merge viewpoints coming from different stakeholders in order to build a shared and formal representation of the studied system dealing with groundwater management in the low-lying atoll of Tarawa (Republic of Kiribati). The methodology relies on three successive stages. First, a Global Targeted Appraisal focuses on social group leaders in order to collect different standpoints and their articulated mental models. These collective models are partly validated through Individual Activities Surveys focusing on behavioural patterns of individual islanders. Then, these models are merged into a single conceptual one using qualitative analysis …


Towards An Art And Science Of Decision Aiding For Water Management And Planning: A Participatory Modelling Process, Katherine A. Daniell, Ian White, Nils Ferrand, Alexis Tsoukias, Stewart Burn, Pascal Perez Nov 2012

Towards An Art And Science Of Decision Aiding For Water Management And Planning: A Participatory Modelling Process, Katherine A. Daniell, Ian White, Nils Ferrand, Alexis Tsoukias, Stewart Burn, Pascal Perez

Professor Pascal Perez

Planning and management of water resources are faced with increasingly high levels of complexity, uncertainty and conflict. Traditional technical and top-down management strategies have proved inadequate, forcing a move to more "integrated" forms of management, planning and decision making that can include stakeholders and communities, as well as technical experts and policy makers. These integrated forms of management require not only good technical or scientific ability, but a range of "art-like" skills including communication, creativity and the capacity to acknowledge and integrate diverse points of view. However, processes designed to aid such inter-organisational or multi-stakeholder decisionmaking are rare and in …


Small Town Water Governance In Developing Countries: The Uncertainty Curse, Magnus Moglia, Pascal Perez, Stewart Burn Nov 2012

Small Town Water Governance In Developing Countries: The Uncertainty Curse, Magnus Moglia, Pascal Perez, Stewart Burn

Professor Pascal Perez

lack of consideration of local circumstances and process requirements, and in particular inadequate involvement of affected stakeholders as well as inadequate cross-sectorial coordination. This is not surprising given poor organizational memory combined with decisions being made under time pressure and strict deadlines combined with little adaptive capacity. Additionally, information about the importance of process requirements and engagement is qualitative and as such is unfortunately often given secondary importance. To address this, we suggest a Risk assessment component as part of the project design phase based on Bayesian Networks (BNs) utilizing expert and local knowledge. This not only improves organizational memory …


Simreef: An Agent-Based Model To Address Coastal Management Issues In The Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, Pascal Perez, A Dray, Deborah Cleland, Jesus Ernesto Arias-Gonzalez Nov 2012

Simreef: An Agent-Based Model To Address Coastal Management Issues In The Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, Pascal Perez, A Dray, Deborah Cleland, Jesus Ernesto Arias-Gonzalez

Professor Pascal Perez

The northernmost part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (MBR) runs along the eastern Yucatan peninsula (Mexico). Over two decades, sprawling coastal tourism development and over-exploitation of marine resources have considerably reduced fringing reef’s ecological functions. SimReef is an interactive model designed to better understand the interactions between regional and local drivers strongly influencing the health of coral reefs. SimReef’s development follows a collective design approach and an inductive process whereby dynamics are represented by data-driven relationships. Experts and stakeholders participate to the designing phase in order to help calibrating the model and to support a consensual validation of the results.


An Ontology-Based Simulation Model Exploring The Social Contexts Of Psychostimulant Use Among Young Australians, Pascal Perez, Anne Dray, Paul Dietze, David Moore, Rebecca Jenkinson, Christine Siokou, Rachael Green, Susan L. Hudson, Lisa Maher, Gabriele Bammer Nov 2012

An Ontology-Based Simulation Model Exploring The Social Contexts Of Psychostimulant Use Among Young Australians, Pascal Perez, Anne Dray, Paul Dietze, David Moore, Rebecca Jenkinson, Christine Siokou, Rachael Green, Susan L. Hudson, Lisa Maher, Gabriele Bammer

Professor Pascal Perez

The principal anthropogenic factors driving reef degradation have been known for years, if not decades. Overfishing, sedimentation and nutrient loads are just some of the key impacts of human activities in and around reef communities. Therefore, the future of reefs does not rely on generating new knowledge, but rather on implementing and integrating the knowledge we already have. This will require creating effective links between researchers, managers and communities to promote mutual learning, negotiation and collaborative action for reef management. Combining agent-based models and role-play games, through a technique known as Companion Modelling (ComMod), creates a dynamic and interactive setting …


Taking Participatory In Participatory Modelling Seriously, Y Maru, K Alexandridis, Pascal Perez Nov 2012

Taking Participatory In Participatory Modelling Seriously, Y Maru, K Alexandridis, Pascal Perez

Professor Pascal Perez

Over the last three decades participatory research processes have informed much international development and conservation work in developing countries. Public participation is also a growing legislative requirement in natural resource and environmental management in developed countries. So far, multiple participatory approaches have been formulated and applied in different contexts, including so-called participatory modelling methods. The latter have developed alongside a growing unease and fundamental critique of the participatory approaches and their theoretical underpinnings. One of the central themes running through the critique is the naivete with which complexities of power relations are assumed to be understood and addressed in participatory …


Waypoints On A Journey Of Discovery: Mental Models In Human Environment Interactions, Timothy Lynam, Raphael Mathevet, Michel Etienne, Samantha Stone-Jovicich, Anne Leitch, Nathalie Jones, Helen Ross, Derick Du Toit, Sharon Pollard, Harry Biggs, Pascal Perez Nov 2012

Waypoints On A Journey Of Discovery: Mental Models In Human Environment Interactions, Timothy Lynam, Raphael Mathevet, Michel Etienne, Samantha Stone-Jovicich, Anne Leitch, Nathalie Jones, Helen Ross, Derick Du Toit, Sharon Pollard, Harry Biggs, Pascal Perez

Professor Pascal Perez

Although the broad concept of mental models is gaining currency as a way to explore the link between how people think and interact with their world, this concept is limited by a theoretical and practical understanding of how it can be applied in the study of human-environment relationships. Tools and processes are needed to be able to elicit and analyze mental models. Because mental models are not directly observable, it is also important to understand how the application of any tools and processes affects what is measured. Equally important are the needs to be clear on the intent of the …


Embracing Social Uncertainties With Complex Systems Science, Pascal Perez Nov 2012

Embracing Social Uncertainties With Complex Systems Science, Pascal Perez

Professor Pascal Perez

Human ecosystems are real-life systems characterized by very strong and longterm interactions between human communities and their environment; as such they constitute an expansion of the ecological concept of ecosystem. According to Stepp and colleagues (2003), human ecosystems not only process matter and energy flows, but - and more specifically - information flows as well. Therefore, they display very specific characteristics due to our ability to communicate and learn from others, creating the conditions for co-evolutionary processes in which chance lends a hand to necessity. Bradbury (2006) argues that, until recently, human beings had been able to adapt to changes …


Evaluating Participatory Modeling: Developing A Framework For Cross-Case Analysis. Socio-Economics And The Environment In Discussion (Seed), Natalie A. Jones, Pascal Perez, Thomas G. Measham, Gail J. Kelly, Patrick D'Aquino, Katherine Daniell, Anne Dray, Nils Ferrand Nov 2012

Evaluating Participatory Modeling: Developing A Framework For Cross-Case Analysis. Socio-Economics And The Environment In Discussion (Seed), Natalie A. Jones, Pascal Perez, Thomas G. Measham, Gail J. Kelly, Patrick D'Aquino, Katherine Daniell, Anne Dray, Nils Ferrand

Professor Pascal Perez

Participatory modeling is increasingly recognised as an effective way to assist collective decision-making processes in the domain of natural resource management. This paper introduces a framework for evaluating projects that have adopted a participatory modeling approach. This framework – known as the ‘Protocol of Canberra’ – was developed through a collaboration between French and Australian researchers engaged in participatory modeling and evaluation research. The framework seeks to assess the extent to which different participatory modeling practices reinforce or divert from the theoretical assumptions they are built upon. The paper discusses the application of the framework in three case-studies, two from …


Participatory Assessment Of Water Developments In An Atoll Town, Magnus Moglia, Pascal Perez Nov 2012

Participatory Assessment Of Water Developments In An Atoll Town, Magnus Moglia, Pascal Perez

Professor Pascal Perez

Water development projects often fail, which represents a poor outcome given the limited progress against the Millennium Development Goals in providing people with adequate water and sanitation services. This may not be surprising given that water management has been identified as being in the complex system domain. According to the Cynefin framework, many traditional approaches are not suitable; but it suggests an approach based on the methods of probe, sense and respond. In line with this general framework, a participatory assessment methodology has been used to explore experiences in the atoll town of Tarawa in the Republic of Kiribati. After …


Are Drug Detection Dogs And Mass-Media Campaigns Likely To Be Effective Policy Responses To Psychostimulant Use And Related Harm? Results From An Agent-Based Simulation Model, David Moore, Lisa Maher, Christine Siokou, Rachael Green, Anne Dray, Rebecca Jenkinson, Susan Hudson, Gabriele Bammer, Pascal Perez, Paul Dietze Nov 2012

Are Drug Detection Dogs And Mass-Media Campaigns Likely To Be Effective Policy Responses To Psychostimulant Use And Related Harm? Results From An Agent-Based Simulation Model, David Moore, Lisa Maher, Christine Siokou, Rachael Green, Anne Dray, Rebecca Jenkinson, Susan Hudson, Gabriele Bammer, Pascal Perez, Paul Dietze

Professor Pascal Perez

Background Agent-based simulation models can be used to explore the impact of policy and practice on drug use and related consequences. In a linked paper (Perez et al., 2011), we described SimAmph, an agent-based simulation model for exploring the use of psychostimulants and related harm amongst young Australians. Methods In this paper, we use the model to simulate the impact of two policy scenarios on engagement in drug use and experience of drug-related harm: (i) the use of passive-alert detection (PAD) dogs by police at public venues and (ii) the introduction of a mass-media drug prevention campaign. Results The findings …


Agents, Idols, And Icons, Pascal Perez Nov 2012

Agents, Idols, And Icons, Pascal Perez

Professor Pascal Perez

Since the early 1960s, Artificial Intelligence has cherished the ambition to design an artificial cognitive machine able to reproduce intimate aspects of human behaviour. Distributed Artificial Intelligence and its most recent avatars—Multi- Agent Systems—have developed the concept towards social interactions and societal dynamics, attracting the attention of sociologists and ethnographers who found new ways to elaborate or validate their theories. But populations of cognitive agents aren’t the real thing, despite the efforts of their designers. Furthermore, one must cautiously examine the rationale behind these often incredibly complex arrangements of algorithms, in order to assess the usefulness of such exercises. As …