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Workshop leader: Khalid Hossain, Monash University
Workshop leader: Khalid Hossain, Monash University
Environmental informatics, defined by Kolehmainen (2004, p. 21)[1] as application of “information technology to environmental issues using data-driven methods”, has gained popularity among different academic disciplines and professional groups across the world. With widespread use of ICT, representation of environmental data has been changing over the years. Such representation is mostly done through Geographic Information System (GIS) that enables environmental science and management researchers and professionals to capture and analyse spatial and geographic data. Satellite remote sensing, digitization of environmental and social data obtained from the ground and environmental modelling are some key tools in this regard. Since environmental informatics has become an integral part of different feasibility, baseline, monitoring and evaluation studies, important project design and policy decisions are often influenced by it.
However, with rapid environmental changes happening due to numerous socio-economic factors, it has been observed that environmental informatics is sometimes insufficiently dynamic to account for rapid change. Hence, it may not strongly integrate ground-level socio-economic information to provide a comprehensive analysis. While neglect of environmental concerns is visible among government and several key agencies in different parts of the world, incomplete use of environmental informatics also paves the way towards short-term development decisions. These quick-fixes to concerning environmental issues are often not adaptive or holistic.
To discuss the comprehensive use of environmental informatics, this session will therefore highlight the challenges of using environmental informatics in a holistic manner, potential risks of biased usage of environmental informatics, use of environmental informatics to protect and uphold rights of nature-dependent communities like fisherfolk, farmers and forest-dependent communities and gender-responsive environmental informatics in facilitating environmental management related decision-making processes.
[1] Kolehmainen, M. T. (2004). Data Exploration with Self-organizing Maps in Environmental Informatics and Bioinformatics. Kuopio: Kuopio University Library
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