Future Choices

An important part of the research conducted at NZCEE is integrative scenario development that models the environmental, social and economic dimensions of future planning. A number of reports have now been published in the NZCEE Monograph Series that describe the "Environment-Economy Futures Models" developed for various New Zealand regions.

Environment Waikato secured $1.6 million in research funding from FRST to provide New Zealand with an integrated system that can be used by central government agencies and local authorities for long-term sustainable planning. The programme runs for 4 years and will develop sustainable planning tools based on a detailed study of future options for the Waikato region. Details about the project, including updates on progress, can be found at: Choosing Futures Waikato. Garry McDonald is mainly involved in the the economic modelling for this project.

“The aim of the project is to build and integrate economic, population, health and environmental information and to develop a model of how our region works,” says Environment Waikato's Dr Beat Huser. “Understanding the region as a complex and dynamic system of interactions between the economy, the environment, the people and communities will enable us to look into the future by using various scenarios so that we can better prepare today for where we want to be tomorrow.”

The project will:

• develop tools and knowledge support for integrated planning and decision-making
• link environmental planning to economic and social decision-making
• identify conflicting issues and trade-offs and develop practical solutions
• plug into future issues and set priorities for action
• enable us to make informed choices.
  

The research team is headed by Dr Beat Huser of Environment Waikato and Dr Daniel Rutledge, a Landcare Research ecologist, and draws on expertise from the spectrum of crown research institutes (Landcare Research, Agresearch, NIWA and Scion), the University of Waikato and NZCEE. International research from the Netherlands and France will be used in developing the processes and tools.

The full media release about the launch of this project in 2006 can be found here.

For more information, please contact Garry McDonald.