Use standard formats to provide examples for these conceptual models.

Subtask Description:
Use standard formats to provide examples for these conceptual models.

Action points of the implementation:

Of currently available formats, C-map Tools has been widely used for conceptual modeling, and seems to offer a good compromise between flexibility and specificity.
Formalize the model diagrams using the selected tools; where appropriate, make use of C-map’s facility for displaying different levels in a hierarchy of subsystems.

Area:
Barcelona Coast, Spain.

Policy Issue:
Investigation of the effects of changes in water quality on the aesthetic & recreational aspects of the beaches.

Human Activities:
Large scale urban & industrial activity, tourism.

General Information:
The quality of the water in the various beaches is affected significantly during heavy storms. Wastewater treatment plants are unable to deal with the sudden increase of inflow and the capacity of storm collectors is often insufficient to temporarily store this water for later treatment. This results in large quantities of untreated wastewater being released into the coast, causing bacteria concentration to exceed safety levels thus obliging the beach authorities to temporarily prohibit bathing or just causing aesthetic degradation that prohibits beach users from bathing. Reduced use of the coastal water influences the beach users decision whether to stay at the beach or to leave, thus affecting the revenue received by the local businesses and being an important stakeholder concern.

Example of Implementation (click for full sized version):

Comments:
You can find more information about the Cmap tools here.

Contact:
Ben Tomlinson, Tomlinson@icm.cat