Towards an Integrated Environmental Model for the Biesbosch Area

Abstract

The presentation in Chapter 4 concerning the discussion of systems theory showed that a modular approach, with a hierarchical representation of modules representing the key phenomena, is a useful methodological framework of integration to a systematic development of an I EM. The major tasks in the use of systems theory to develop an IEM are twofold, viz. the formulation of the design from a coherent system to analyse the scope of a real world phenomenon, and the definition from a set of mathematical models to analyse the phenomena in an adequate way. The various stages in the development of a mathematical model from a systems approach - in terms of the definition and evaluation of a systems model - were presented in Figure 4.4 from subsection 4.2.1. The stages 1 to 3 in that figure deal with the definition and structure of a system and its subsystems, as well as with the selection and treatment of key phenomena. These three stages will also be called the formulation of the design stage of a coherent system, and begin the process from the systems definition phase to the mathematical modelling phase.