Inventory of GIS-Based Decision Support Systems Addressing Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Waters and Related Inland Watersheds

A Decision Support System (DSS) is a computer-based software that can assist decision makers in their decision process, supporting rather than replacing their judgment and, at length, improving effectiveness over efficiency. Environmental DSS are models based tools that cope with environmental issues and support decision makers in the sustainable management of natural resources and in the definition of possible adaptation and mitigation measures [2]. DSS have been developed and used to address complex decision-based problems in varying fields of research. For instance, in environmental resource management, DSS are generally classified into two main categories: Spatial Decision Support Systems (SDSS) and Environmental Decision Supports Systems (EDSS) [3-5]. SDSS provide the necessary platform for decision makers to analyse geographical information in a flexible manner, while EDSS integrate the relevant environmental models, database and assessment tools – coupled within a Graphic User Interface (GUI) – for functionality within a Geographical Information System (GIS) [1,4-6]. In some detail, GIS is a set of computer tools that can capture, manipulate, process and display spatial or geo-referenced data in which the enhancement of spatial data integration, analysis and visualization can be conducted [8-9]. These functionalities make GIS-tools useful for efficient development and effective implementation of DSS within the management process. For this purpose they are used either as data managers (i.e. as a spatial geo-database tool) or as an end in itself (i.e. media to communicate information to decision makers)