EDSS - Estuarine Decision Support System

Ever since the wide availability of Personal Computers, software-instruments have been designed, implemented and applied in the field of e.g.. coastal zone management which are commonly referred to as "Decision Support Systems". It is recognised that these DSS's have a generic part which is independent of the application and specific components that determine which problems can be supported and which can not. Induced by the Land Water Environment Information Technology Programme, several parties (Resource Analysis, EDS, WL Delft Hydraulics, DHV) have designed and implemented EDSS, the Estuarine Decision Support System. The generic part of EDSS is constituted around the "Framework for Analysis", a methodology to systematically analyze policy problems. The user interacts with the software in three major stages: 1) problem definition (identification of objectives, criteria, measures and scenario's), 2) rapid assessment (qualitative exploration of potential effects), and 3) problem analysis (computation of effects through "knowledge-modules"). EDSS has been made operational for the Westerschelde Estuary in the Netherlands, as well as the Yangtze Estuary in China. Available knowledge modules cover "dredging assessment", "socio-economics", "ecomorphology" and "recreation".