Environmental impact assessment procedure: A new approach based on fuzzy logic
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University College of Engineering of Vitoria-Gasteiz, University of the Basque Country, Nieves Cano 12, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain)
The information related to the different environmental impacts produced by the execution of activities and projects is often limited, described by semantic variables and, affected by a high degree of inaccuracy and uncertainty, thereby making fuzzy logic a suitable tool with which to express and treat this information. The present study proposes a new approach based on fuzzy logic to carry out the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of these activities and projects. Firstly, a set of impact properties is stated and two nondimensional parameters - ranging from 0 to 100 -are assigned, (p{sub i}) to assess the value of the property and (v{sub i}) to assess its contribution to each environmental impact. Next, the impact properties are described by means of fuzzy numbers p{sub i}{sup -} using generalised confidence intervals. Then, a procedure based on fuzzy arithmetic is developed to define the assessment functions v-bar = f(p-bar) - conventional mathematical functions, which incorporate the knowledge of these impact properties and give the fuzzy values v{sub i}{sup -} corresponding to each p{sub i}{sup -}. Subsequently, the fuzzy value of each environmental impact V-bar is estimated by aggregation of the values v{sub i}{sup -}, in order to obtain the total positive and negative environmental impacts V{sup +-} and V{sup --} and, later - from them - the total environmental impact of the activity or project TV{sup -}. Finally, the defuzzyfication of TV{sup -} leads to a punctual impact estimator TV{sup (1)} - a conventional EI estimation - and its corresponding uncertainty interval estimator left brace(delta{sub l}(TV{sup -}),delta{sub r}(TV{sup -})right brace, which represent the total value of the environmental impact caused by the execution of the considered activity or project.
- OSTI ID:
- 21364589
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Vol. 29, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.eiar.2009.01.005; PII: S0195-9255(09)00022-5; Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; ISSN 0195-9255
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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