A FRAMEWORK FOR PROCESS INDICATORS TO MONITOR
FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: PRACTICE TO AN URBAN WATER SYSTEM |
| |
Authors: | ALI BAGHERI PEDER HJORTH |
| |
Institution: | (1) Department of Water Resources Engineering, Lund Institute of Technology, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden |
| |
Abstract: | Although very often used, the concept of sustainable development has not yet been perceived pragmatically. Due to its process
nature, in this paper, we argue that sustainable development is a process in which the essential feedback loops, or Viability Loops as we name them, in the system in question are kept healthy and functional. This process deals with evolutionary changes
with the end point not known in advance. According to this perception, measurement of sustainable development does not make
sense. Rather, we should look for the process indicators to monitor systems for sustainable development. The purpose of the
paper is to develop a methodology to deal with monitoring systems for sustainable development and its practice in an urban
water system. Using a system dynamics approach, the paper adopts a systemic monitoring framework based on the idea of Viability Loops to define process indicators to monitor systems for sustainable development. To illustrate the application of the framework,
its practice in the urban water system of Tehran, the capital of Iran, is provided as an example. The example of the urban
water supply system of Tehran is given as a case study, albeit with some unavailable data. Here, four typical viability loops
are discussed. The results of this application show that the flows of informative signals are lacking. Adopting the process
indicators, we can see the gaps between the public perceptions of water abundance, the costs of water provision and energy
utilizations, and what is going on in the reality are getting wider. That indicates that the viability loops are not functional
enough to produce effective changes to offset the reinforcing mechanisms. The sustainable development of the system is impaired
due to the persistence of those reinforcing mechanisms. |
| |
Keywords: | evolutionary processes measurement monitoring process indicators sustainable development system urban water viability loops |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|