Beginning the Process

The DPSIR Framework can help us begin the process by organizing our system-level decision in a conceptual way.  We will identify 

• Drivers: human needs (sometimes thought of as fulfilled by economic sectors) 
• Pressures:  human activities to fulfill needs that stress the environment 
• States:  changes in the condition of the environment 
• Impacts:  effects of a change in state on ecosystem services 
• Responses:  reactions to losses of ecosystem services 

The DPSIR Framework can assist in many steps of the decision analysis process.  It will allow stakeholder/decision-maker groups to:

• Generate a common understanding and organized, conceptual model of the system including the scientific, political, regulatory, social, and institutional settings
• Generate a common understanding of how human activities affect ecosystems and vice-versa
• Conceptualize and visualize desired outcomes leading to the development of measurable objectives
• Provide a context to develop responses to achieve those outcomes
• Conceptualize impacts based on current drivers, pressures and states, and conceptualize impacts of responses
• Determine which responses need further evaluation in a quantitative decision analysis process
• Decide if decision-makers need to collect additional data or perform additional research