Publications

Austin-Breneman J, Praneet NC, Kimbowa AB, Oviroh PO, Boahen S, Miyingo EW, and PY Papalambros (2023). "Quantifying Resilience Trade-Offs For Small-Scale Farms: A System Optimization Study In Uganda." Proc. ASME IDETC/CIE 2023, August 20-23, 2023, Boston. Paper no. DETC2023-116657. doi TBD.

Boahen S, Oviroh PO, Austin-Breneman J, Miyingo EM, Papalambros PY (2023).  "Understanding Resilience Of Agricultural Systems: A Systematic Literature Review" Proceedings of the Design Society INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN ENGINEERING DESIGN, Bordeaux, France, July 2023 doi TBD. 

Oviroh PO, Austin-Breneman J, Chien CC, Praneet NC, Harikumar V, Shiva P,  Kimbowa AB, Luntz,J, Miyingo EW,  & Papalambros PY (2023). "Micro Water-Energy-Food (MicroWEF) Nexus: A system design optimization framework for Integrated Natural Resource Conservation and Development (INRCD) projects at community scale." Applied Energy,  333, 120583, ISSN 0306-2619, doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2022.120583.

Abstract: Integrated Natural Resource Conservation and Development (INRCD) design tasks require clear frameworks and decision-support tools which translate the traditionally national-level Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus concept to a micro-scale. This article presents a simulation–optimization design tool, INCRD-Opt, which performs explicit simultaneous modeling and optimization of WEF interactions in the design of a small-scale farm. INCRD-Opt makes WEF analysis and resulting improvements in decision-making accessible to farmers and community leaders. The tool can help stakeholders visualize trade-offs between competing objectives, understand the implications of interactions across sectoral boundaries, and select the optimal system for their context. The article explores system optimization of an integrated irrigation, microgrid, and cultivation project for small landholder farming communities in Uganda. Results indicate that (i) simultaneous optimization of all sectors of the WEF Nexus improves decision-making; (ii) optimizing for profit versus sustainability may lead to different design results; (iii) for the case study sites in Uganda, using smaller microgrids and tailoring irrigation to the site improves yield and sustainability as measured by the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Index (WEFNI); and (iv) the system optimization approach results in different technology investment decisions for case study locations, suggesting the use of an irrigation system in one case and rejecting it in another.

Nilsson, S., Shibwabo Kasamani, B., Hede Mortensen, J., Stevanovic, D., Wanyang, M., Norell Bergendahl, M., & Papalambros, P.  (2022). "Challenges and Opportunities for Enabling Mutual Learning and Collaboration in Design and Innovation for Sustainable Development in Africa and Beyond".  Proceedings of the Design Society, 2, 1071-1080. doi:10.1017/pds.2022.109

Abstract: Global collaboration and mutual learning in design are put forth as means to address the UN SDGs. This paper draws upon experiences in the Design Society’s AFRICA-DESIGN initiative to build a network of design academics and practitioners based in Africa with a focus on design for sustainable development. We identify education and social sustainability as particular opportunities and challenges, highlighting the critical element of mutual learning in the collaboration process

Rajski, P.V., A.J. Sicko, and P. Y. Papalambros (2022) “Modeling Social Benefits in System Design Optimization of Integrated Natural Resources Conservation and Development (INRCD) Projects: Identification and Quantification of Design Attributes from the Extant Literature.” Proceedings of the Design Society DESIGN 2022; 2, 1099-1108. doi.org/10.1017/pds.2022.112

Abstract: Integrated Natural Resource Conservation and Development (INRCD) Projects promote community economic development consistent with natural resource conservation. Such projects are studied analytically as system design optimization problems comprising engineering, economic, and social considerations. Modeling social benefits as objectives or constraints requires proper quantification. From the extant literature, we decompose the social benefits concept into quantifiable INRCD attributes and point to further quantification efforts needed to capture the system design’s impact on local communities. .

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Barlow T, Biddanda M, Chien C-C, Mendke S, Miyingo EW, O’Neal W, Sicko A, and PY Papalambros (2021) “A System Design Optimization Model for Integrated Natural Resource Conservation and Development in an Agricultural Community.” Proceedings of the Design Society: ICED21, 1, 273-282. doi:10.1017/pds.2021.28

Abstract:Integrated Natural Resource Conservation and Development (INRCD) Projects are efforts at worldwide locations to promote economic development of local communities consistent with conservation of natural resources. This umbrella term includes Integration Conservation and Development Projects (ICDPs) introduced by the World Wide Fund to combine social development and conservation s through the use of socio-economic investments, and the Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM) research and development efforts that have employed a systems approach for quantitative modeling and optimization. In the spirit of the INRCD framework, we describe the development of a system-level agriculture and energy model comprising engineering and economic models for crop, irrigation, and energy subsystem designs for a community in Central Uganda. The model architecture is modular allowing modifications for different system configurations and project locations. We include some initial results and discuss next steps for system optimization, refining model assumptions, and modeling community social benefits as drivers of such projects.

Rajski, P., & Papalambros, P. (2021). “Integrated Natural Resource and Conservation Development Project: A Review of Success Factors from a Systems Perspective.” Proceedings of the Design Society, 1, 1867-1876. doi:10.1017/pds.2021.448

Abstract: Integrated Natural Resource and Conservation Development (INRCD) Projects is an umbrella term for a variety of Integrated Conservation and Development Projects (ICDPs), a concept first introduced by the World Wide Fund for Nature in the mid 1980s to target practice-oriented efforts in developing countries; and Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM) research and development projects introduced as adaptive management for fisheries, wildlife, forest, and rangeland to target analysisoriented efforts in developing and developed countries. These projects seek to balance economic development and natural resource conservation and present a natural opportunity for studying them using a system design optimization framework. As a first step towards such a framework, the present review aims to determine the planning and execution factors for success or failure of such projects over the past four decades. A thematic analysis of the literature reveals three broad areas of importance: community inclusion and income diversification, inadequate training and management, and inability to properly quantify data. The implications are that, besides technical functional modeling, the systems optimization framework must account for social impact, and for incomplete and stochastic data.

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Barlow, T.W., Greene, M.T., and P.Y. Papalambros (2020).  Review of Design Research for Sustainable Development in Africa: A Design Science Perspective.  Proceedings of the Design Society: DESIGN Conference, 1, 1863-1872. doi:10.1017/dsd.2020.154.

Abstract: The design community can contribute significantly to the success of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in Africa. Currently, alignment of the design research community on sustainable development goals in Africa is not well understood. In this paper, we review relevant literature and identify trends in research topics studied and in patterns of collaboration between researchers. We find differences in topic representation and collaboration trends between African-based and non-African based researchers. Understanding these differences better will be important for future research.