The design of a web-based decision support system for the sustainable management of an urban river system

Abstract

The effects of urbanization on the aquatic environment, and solutions to the deterioration of water quality and stream ecology in the Love River have long been the main focus of environmental management in southern Taiwan. Apart from choosing the regular strategies of installing an intercept and sewer system, coastal wastewater treatment plant, and ocean outfall pipe, a new opportunity for improving the overall managerial efficiency is to design and implement a web-based Decision Support System (DSS). This DSS must be capable of managing storm water impacts when overflow is inevitable, river water quality variations loading to influences on the ecosystem, and changing land use programs along river corridors and adjacent urban areas simultaneously. This paper presents a new design framework for building such a DSS. By using the advanced information technology in the "Internet" environment, the proposed DSS may perform normal queries and statistical analyses in a web-enabled database, spatial analysis via the use of a Geographic Information System (GIS) in the Internet environment, and essential data warehousing/data mining. Possible linkage with various analytical models is anticipated. Such a DSS must be helpful for achieving the rehabilitation of the estuarine ecosystem and satisfying the goals for sustainable management in a regional sense.