A review of operational research and mathematical methods for the environmental management applications in industry

Abstract

The principles of operational research (OR) and related mathematical methods have been applied to environmental issues for the past five decades. However, the increasing pressures experienced by industry over the last decade, pertaining to sustainable development performances, have renewed interests and intensified the potential application of OR techniques in environmental planning and management. The subsequent number of published mathematical models is vast. This paper aims to provide an overview of the modelling approaches to address the environmental impacts associated with industrial activities. In particular, the methods that are used to model the cross-boundary effects of industrial resource use and releases are summarised.

Die afgelope vyf dekades is verskeie wiskundige en operasionele navorsingmetodes (ON) aangewend om omgewingsprobleme te modelleer. Die toenemende druk wat die konsep van volhoubare ontwikkeling op die industrie plaas, het tot gevolg gehad dat die belangstelling in die moontlike toepassing van ON-tegnieke vir omgewingsbeplanning en bestuur drasties toegeneem het. Die doel van die artikel is om ‘n oorsig te gee oor die modelleringstegnieke wat aangewend kan word om omgewingsimpakte aan te spreek. Daar word spesifiek gefokus op metodes om die omgewingsimpakte van hulpbrongebruik en vrystellings wat industriegrense oorsteek, te modelleer.