Systems methods for environmental management

Changes in environmental research, planning, and management over the past 20 years have determined the requirements for new methodological approaches to connect environmental science and policy. This paper identifies the most prevalent directions in which the new approaches are heading based on an overview of five methods developed over the past 15–20 years. These include the environmental impact assessment methods, the adaptive environmental assessment and management approach, the environmental management and training games, decision support systems, and the policy exercise method. Conclusions of this overview are intended to provide guidelines for future methodological efforts to create better interfaces between environmental science and environmental policy.