IEM Frameworks

We have discussed the definition of Integrated Environmental Management (IEM). It seems to me that IEM requires not only a sequential step but also a cyclical process. It means that IEM need a framework that can give the opportunity to improve the process of environmental management in order to achieve the best result that lead to the main goal of environmental protection. Here is the framework of IEM which I get from IEM lecture's note.

Figure 1. IEM Framework

Source: Lecture Notes of ERST 633, 2013

From the diagram, I want to emphasize some important steps, first is that the initial and the primary step of the whole process is defining the problem. It is a crucial step that should be done carefully to establish the existing problem and to determine the boundary of the problem. It is also important to know that many environmental problems have not been determined specifically which have led to inappropriate solution or even create a new problem. Most of those problems have been too quickly to solve before getting an agreement on what the real problem is (Bardwell, 1991). At this step, public or stakeholders have to be engaged into the process as it is useful to get a comprehensive view about the problem. Following that, an analysis of the problem in a broad way which encompasses institutional, policy, and environmental approach is required to start an integrated environmental management scheme (Buhrs, 1995).

In addition, strategic reduction is essential in IEM process to ensure that each step can be done in an integrated way. It means that because we cannot solve all problems at the same time, strategic reduction for example in prioritizing and budgeting programs is needed.

Finally, it is important to ensure that monitoring and evaluation is included in implementation step. Feedback from monitoring and evaluation is useful to improve the whole process of IEM.

The next postings in this blog will be about implementing this IEM framework in a case study. I plan to go through each step in the framework above to analyze an environmental problem from the first step of identify environmental issue until implementation strategy. I expect that using IEM framework to address an environmental problem is the starting point to overcome other issues related to the environmental management.   

References:

Bardwell. Lisa V. (1991). Problem-Framing: A Perspective on Environmental Problem-Solving. In ERST 633 Resource Book: Environmental Management. Vol 15 No 5. (pp. 603-612).

Buhrs, T. (1995). Integrated Environmental Management: Towards a Framework for Application. In ERST 633 Resource Book. Unpublished paper. (pp. 1 - 19) .Environmental Management and Design Division, Lincoln University.

Lecture's Note ERST 633. 2013