Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response Framework Research Articles

Using the DPSIR framework to identify factors influencing the quality of groundwater in Grecìa Salentina (Puglia, Italy)

The Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework was applied in a central area of the Salento peninsula to identify environmental and human factors influencing the quality of groundwater and propose strategies for its preservation. In accordance with this approach, a set of indicators providing a simplified description of the various components of a complex environmental system, directly or indirectly related to groundwater quality, was selected to obtain information useful for the management of water resources. A total of 42 indicators were taken into account: 11 for the driving forces, 5 for pressures, 21 for states, 2 for impacts and 3 for responses. The chemical and microbiological characterisation of the deep aquifer in the territory of Grecia Salentina highlighted a number of cases of contamination attributable to risk factors present in the area. The study enabled the formulation of (a) hypotheses regarding the causes of poor water quality, and (b) management strategies for resolving the negative aspects of the overall state of health of the aquifer.

Combining ecosystem service relationships and DPSIR framework to manage multiple ecosystem services.

Ecosystem service (ES) relationship occurs due to two types of mechanisms: (1) interact directly or (2) interact through the impact of a shared factor. Identifying such mechanisms behind ES relationship within a single land-use/land-cover category and combining it with a system thinking framework is especially necessary for effective decision-making to manage multiple ESs generated by this land-use/land-cover. In this study, we use tea plantations in China to investigate mechanisms behind ES relationships. We find that tea production is positively correlated with four regulating services (i.e., carbon sequestration, soil N protection, soil P protection, and water conservation). Several regulating services, such as carbon sequestration and soil N, P, and K protection, have positive correlations with each other. Tea production, carbon sequestration, and soil retention are significantly correlated with local annual mean temperature and precipitation. We then establish driver-pressure-state-impact-response (DPSIR) framework for tea plantations, which has been widely used for environmental management issues. Integrating our findings of ES relationship into DPSIR framework, we can estimate how ES change is responding to two types of responses: response to control drivers and response to maintain or restore state. Scenario analysis showed that the responses to control drivers have a larger impact on ES. We discuss that DPSIR would favor managing multiple ES because it enables a more precise understanding of how ES interacts through the effects of factors from various hierarchies. Finally, we suggest integrating ES direct interaction into DPSIR framework. We think such integration could improve the ability of DPSIR framework to support decision-making in multiple ES management, specifically in at least three aspects: (1) favor to identify all possible response alternatives, (2) enable us to evaluate ES which cannot be assessed if without such combining, and (3) help to identify ecological leverage points where small management investment can yield substantial benefits.

FLOOD HAZARD IMPACT ANALYSIS IN THE DOWNSTREAM OF VU GIA-THU BON RIVER SYSTEM, QUANG NAM PROVINCE, CENTRAL VIETNAM

Central Vietnam is highly vulnerable to flood disasters. Due to the trend of increased weather extremes, the vulnerability keeps to be further exacerbated causing high risk of casualties and damages. Also, the complication of the physical processes and socio-economic issues in this area is great challenge for practitioners and communities to have full understand flood pattern and associated risk. Therefore, this study selected Vu Gia . Thu Bon river basin, one of the largest system in Vietnam, to apply an integrated approach, including 1D flood simulation (using MIKE NAM and MIKE-11), Arc-GIS based mapping and conceptual DPSIR (Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response) framework to develop inundation maps of 10%, 5% and 1% frequencies and potential impacts in the study area. These results are considered as primary information to tailor effective flood disaster management plan in the long run.

Multiple DPSI frameworks for support of integrated research: a case study of the Bahía de Cádiz Nature Park (Spain)

System thinking and integrated research are widely applied approaches in environmental management, often facilitating the organization of information from different levels and sources. They are here applied to support the review of (1) political and management instruments and (2) elements that characterize the Bahia de Cadiz Nature Park (Spain). The latter objective is sustained by the DPSIR (Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response) framework. A first DPSI conceptual map offers a broader view of the park capturing a range of elements that act at global, national and regional levels. Next, through expert consultation, prioritized DPSI issues describing the current situation of Bahia de Cadiz Nature Park are highlighted. A second DPSI map is designed to explore specific land-use and land-cover changes and their effects on the park’s ecological integrity, offering a greater level of detail. ‘Responses’ are discussed separately, through a review of most recent response actions that have originated at various levels, and future ones proposed by the park’s management. The framework proves to be appropriate to identify elements from both social and environmental dimensions, but excludes global-scale elements that do not fit the scope of this analysis. The review hopes to support future integrated research initiatives, involving in-depth analysis though the use of tools as are indicators or models.

Integrating ecosystem services and climate change responses in coastal wetlands development plans for Bangladesh

This study explores the integration of ecosystem services and climate change adaptation in development plans for coastal wetlands in Bangladesh. A new response framework for adaptation is proposed, based on an empirical analysis and consultations with stakeholders, using a modified version of the DPSIR (Driver-Pressure-State-Impact- Response) framework. The framework is tested in the Narail district of Bangladesh, where temperature has increased by about 1 °C in the summer in combination with an increase in rainfall of 0.70 mm day −1 yr −1 in the last decade. Calibrated model (MAGICC/SENGEN) projections forecast, on average, a temperature increase of up to 5 °C and an increase in rainfall of 25 % by the end of this century. Water diversion in the upstream regions of the Ganges River delta contributes to increase water scarcity in the dry season. Enhanced rainfall and the immense pressure of water discharges from upstream water sources are increasing the risk of floods and river erosion in thedry season. Anincrease in thewater holding capacity of rivers, wetlandsand canals by dredging is urgently required. The empirical model ofthisstudy isintended tosupport adaptation planning and monitoring in Bangladesh and can be used in other data-poor areas which will suffer from climate change.

Socio-ecological accounting: DPSWR, a modified DPSIR framework, and its application to marine ecosystems

In contrast to institutionally focussed environmental accounting, socio-ecological accounting frameworks organise information concerned with human–environment interactions at scales relevant to ecosystem change and thus encapsulate information more relevant to ecosystem-based management. The DPSIR (Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response) framework has been used to identify relevant information in a number of ecosystem contexts but suffers limitations in terms of its definitional clarity and conceptual foundations, which undermine comparability between studies. These limitations are addressed in the DPSWR (Driver–Pressure–State–Welfare–Response) framework, which defines information categories based on a synthesis of concepts in DPSIR and its predecessors so as to more clearly identify the object of measurement in each category and isolate information relating to social systems. Consequently, its categories dealing with social systems are better suited to assessing anthropocentric trade-offs in environmental decision-making, such as through cost–benefit analysis. A conceptual input–output analysis is used to highlight measurement issues connected with the inter-relations between information categories, particularly with regard to scale, and the application of the framework is illustrated by reference to issues affecting marine ecosystems included in a Europewide study for the European Commission. However, DPSWR's definitions are designed to be sufficiently general as to support application in other ecosystem contexts.

Does research applying the DPSIR framework support decision making?

The Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework was developed in the late 1990s to structure and organize indicators in a meaningful way. Since then, the framework has increasingly been applied in research projects with the aim of supporting decision making. A number of attributes of the framework regarding structuring and communication issues in research further strengthen its original purpose of bridging the science policy gap. We reviewed several studies that were mainly concerned with criticism and drawbacks of the DPSIR framework. Based on these studies and our own experiences in applying the DPSIR framework in an EU project to develop a decision support tool, we developed two criteria that we believe are crucial for policy relevant research: (a) the development of conceptual models integrating knowledge from different disciplines, specialists and policy makers, as well as those affected by their decisions; and (b) the potential to explain the results and analysis of research to different disciplines, specialists, stakeholders and the public and to demonstrate alternatives and provide decision options. We analyzed 21 studies using the DPSIR framework with regard to their relevance for decision making. We analyzed the definitions of the five DPSIR elements and whether specific end users were addressed in the respective studies. We found that in many studies, the DPSIR elements were defined in literature review or by researchers and that only a few studies targeted specific government authorities as users of research results. Eight out of 21 studies applied transdisciplinary research concepts and integrated broad ranges of stakeholder opinions and values into the research. Nine out of 21 studies presented alternative outcomes to decision makers and used the valuation of these outcomes by stakeholders to add further support to the decision-making process. The different positive and negative implications of the DPSIR framework are discussed with reference to research that supports policy making. Finally, we conclude that studies employing DPSIR may provide effective solutions for “real world problems” by taking into account additional criteria based on knowledge integration, stakeholder involvement and the provision of alternatives. Therefore, DPSIR is a useful tool to support decision making by means of showing solid evidence with alternatives and decision options, rather than by presenting predetermined solutions.

An Assessment of Coastal Development and Land Use Change Using the DPSIR Framework: Case Studies from the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Coastal areas are experiencing high levels of development, largely driven by a number of aesthetic and recreational factors, increased mobility, availability of disposable income for middle and upper income groups and the promise of job opportunities and improved economic well-being for lower income groups. As existing coastal urban nodes expand development “shifts” to less developed areas and places increasing pressure on the surrounding natural environment. This article considers the coastal zone of two municipalities in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, with similar environmental characteristics but disparate socioeconomic and governance histories. It identifies and integrates the drivers of development and land use change in the coastal zone of these municipalities by means of an adapted Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) Framework. Development and land use change are driven by a combination of social, economic, and legislative factors that need to be considered for future management and planning in this unique dynamic system.

The Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) approach for integrated catchment-coastal zone management: preliminary application to the Po catchment-Adriatic Sea coastal zone system

The European Water Policy and, in particular, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2000/60/EC introduced the necessity to evaluate new methodological approaches for the development of Water Management Strategies oriented to support Sustainable Development. In the context of the EUROCAT Project, the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework was identified as a possible analysis framework for the development of management strategies according to the European Water Policy. An ad-hoc DPSIR framework was developed for the Po River Catchment and the North Adriatic coastal zone in order to elaborate possible strategies for controlling and/or reducing eutrophication. This approach combines socio-economic analysis with spatial analysis of pollutant transport and impact on the catchment-coastal zone system. The preliminary evaluation of the DPSIR approach highlighted the fact that the major Driving forces are agriculture and livestock activities and the civil and industrial sectors. Before establishing possible management strategies, it is necessary to assess the relevance of each Driving force on eutrophication in terms of Pressure factors. Combining socio-economic analysis with the evaluation of major nutrient pathways, it is possible to understand the relationship between the socio-economic development of the Po basin and eutrophication in coastal zone. The nutrient loads, i.e. the Pressures deriving from each Driver were evaluated in terms of potential and effective loads. Fifty-one percent of the Nitrogen load (carried in superficial waters) derives from agriculture and livestock (fertilizer use and manure spreading), while 40% from civil and industrial sectors. Concerning phosphorus loads the major contribution is provided by civil and industrial sectors (62% of total phosphorus load). The DPSIR development permits the identification of the impact of socio-economic development on the qualitative state of both marine and superficial waters in terms of interaction between the trophic system and ecological conditions. The qualitative state of the Po River and the main tributaries ranges between the sufficient and good levels evaluated using the Macro-descriptor Pollution Level Index (LIM). The bulk of nutrients discharged into the North Adriatic coastal zone generate the change of environmental conditions in terms of loss of water qualitative state. The assessment of the water qualitative state for marine waters was performed using an appropriate indicator the Trophic Index (TRIX) according to the Italian legislative framework (Dlgs. 152/1999). Knowledge of the main biogeochemical processes of nutrients and the assessments of DPSIR components is the starting point for the scenario analysis.

An integrated approach to watershed management within the DPSIR framework: Axios River catchment and Thermaikos Gulf

The coastal zone of the inner Thermaikos Gulf has been influenced by eutrophication during the past decades. The conditions of the catchment area-coastal zone continuum are assessed under the holistic Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework. Major socioeconomic drivers, such as industrial and agricultural development as well as urbanization, exert substantial environmental pressures on the Axios River and the Thermaikos Gulf. The Thermaikos Gulf is a highly complex system, being affected by nutrient inputs from four rivers and the City of Thessaloniki. Moreover, the Axios River which is the most significant contributor of freshwater and nutrients to the gulf, is a transboundary river shared between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). The two countries have not yet established a mutual management plan to control freshwater and nutrient discharges. Long-term analysis has shown that presently, more than 11,800 t of nitrogen and 3,400 t of phosphorous are released annually into the marine system. In the Antropocene era, and particularly during the past 20 years, freshwater discharges have decreased and riverine nutrients have increased, whereas inputs from domestic and industrial effluents have a decreasing trend. However, nutrient over-enrichment impacts, i.e. eutrophication, harmful algal blooms and hypoxia still have to be addressed in order to identify whether the coastal system is recovering, or whether further actions should be undertaken to control nutrient inputs from the Axios River and/or other sources. Response actions, such as the improvement of Thessaloniki’s wastewater treatment plant, have proved to play a positive role in the reduction of domestic wastewater input in the gulf, whereas similar facilities are completely lacking in FYROM. On the other hand, several parts of the Axios River delta are designated as protected areas, in an effort to protect environmentally rich habitats. These efforts are often disputed by local stakeholders, which have conflicting interests in the use of the hinterland and the coastal environment. The need of an integrated catchment-coastal zone management plan appears as a fundamental priority in order to protect, improve and maintain the environment, taking into account the need for economic development of the area. The DPSIR conceptual framework appears to be a valuable tool, as it enables parallel assessment of socioeconomic and environmental issues. In combination with the application of numerical models, the DPSIR analysis may provide suggestions for sustainable and environmentally-friendly measures to policy makers.

The use of DPSIR framework to evaluate sustainability in coastal areas. Case study: Guanabara Bay basin, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Guanabara Bay basin, SE Brazil, is shown as an experimental site to evaluate development and sustainability in coastal areas. We developed a Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework in a practical context to integrate natural and socio-economic indicators. Sustainability reflects public policies towards the utilization of natural resources. Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) included in DPSIR evaluates losses and benefits resulting from such policies. CBA has some limitations due to the difficulty of valuating environmental goods and services. Instead of valuating them we propose to combine sustainability indicators and defensive expenditures for the implementation of public policies. This approach agrees with the environmental conservation paradigm implicit in sustainable development. It allows an estimation of the physical natural capital depreciation (PNCD), by using it to correct the gross domestic product (GDP) of the study area, and demonstrating the present non-sustainable characteristics of the current policies applied to the area.