Water, land and environmental management problems are usually characterized by multiple objectives that are linked and oftentimes conflicting due to biophysical interactions and different stakeholder perspectives. Modelling these complex systems involves challenges such asymmetric access to information and uncertainty associated with human preferences and behavior as well as system drivers. Integrated modelling frameworks and multi-objective optimization approaches have been widely used to simultaneously optimize conflicting objectives amidst multiple stakeholders while considering various sources of uncertainty. However, such projects are oftentimes seen rather as an "academic exercise" than a procedure relevant for solving real-world problems in the "practice".
Hence, in this session we seek recent methods and applications of optimization approaches in the context of water, land and environmental management projects (often including political and socio-economic topics) with strong stakeholder involvement working together on solving real-world problems in "the practice". Submissions focused on applications are encouraged; they may related to water and agri-environmental management, land use allocations, biodiversity protection, and the adoption of sustainable technology and management. Methodological advancements may include but are not limited to the genres of game theory, evolutionary and hybrid algorithms, operations research, hierarchical optimization, evolutionary economics, or agent-based modelling.
Key topics: Optimisation, Integrated modelling, Stakeholder involvement and preferences, Solving real-world problems