Guidelines for Integrated Environmental Assessments of Urban Areas
2 GEO Cities Methodology 2.1 Integrated Environmental Assessments
The essence of his approach can be summarized in the following five questions:
An integrated environmental assessment goes beyond simply describing the state of the different elements that constitute the environment, including also the circumstances that lead to this state and the resulting consequences and effects this has into the analysis.
Question 1: What is happening to the environment and why?
More concretely: In order to slow, stop and ultima tely reverse environmental degradation, we need to understand not only what is directly causing that degradation, but also how human society is contributing through its policies and decisions. In order to go to the root of a problem, one must look not only at potential physical causes (e.g. groundwater depletion caused by water withdrawal for irrigation), but also understand public policy decisions and the web of related interests that lay in the background (e.g. economic incentives for water pumping, strategic food self-sufficiency policies).
Compile and analyze status and trends of the environment, including pressures and driving forces. Question 2: What are the consequences for the environment and humanity? Analyze impacts of urban development and environmental change on ecosystem services, human well-being and the quality of life in cities. Question 3: What is being done and how effective is it? Identify policies that impact the environment and policy gaps. Question 4: Where are we heading? What does the city face in the future depending on the chosen path(s) and the influence of the outside world. Question 5: What actions could be taken for a more sustainable future? Describe opportunities for policy innovation and concrete responses.
Chapter 2
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