The Man-Habitat System and Multi-Use Projects: Description and Representation

Denis Couillard

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DOI: 10.2190/WTMU-VHGD-LD26-8A59

Abstract

The development of a country is habitually subject to the growth of industry and the exploitation of natural resources. Development operations, however, are generally accompanied by environmental and social impacts. In their care to minimize the repercussions of managed operations on resources, and to preserve the diversity of individual choices for future generations, decisionmakers must be capable of applying a process of global rationalization in their activities.

Following a simplified description of man habitat systems, and related intermediary systems, this article outlines certain social, economic and environmental aspects which should be considered in objective decisionmaking. The ideal equilibrium can only be arrived at by taking into account the relative values attributed to each of these aspects by society. Following a discussion of the concepts involved in single-use and multi-use projects, interrelations between the economic, social and environmental components are presented.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.