Modelling and Simulation of Human-Environment Interactions

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the development of a Special Issue on “Modelling and Simulation of Human-Environment Interactions”. Computational models provide intelligent environmental decision support systems to understand how human decisions are shaped by, and contribute to changes in, the environment. The complexity of these systems is reflected by the abundance of open questions in modelling and simulation:

• At the design stage, we need to identify the right set of methods (e.g., should we use Agent-Based Modeling, Fuzzy Cognitive Maps, or Hybrid Models?), deal with issues in the data (e.g., uncertainty, linking datasets, utilizing narratives on top surveys and questionnaires), and efficiently work with the community (e.g., how can we transparently engage stakeholders in participatory modeling?).
• At the implementation stage, we need to create models that can perform simulations efficiently (e.g., to scale to a large population or geographical area), integrate with other systems, or support a high level of interactivity with decision-makers.
• When results are generated, we need to account for uncertainty, analyze their output, and validate them depending on the social and environmental context of use.

We solicit papers for this Special Issue that broadly deal with such challenges by addressing open questions, providing novel case studies, or encourage interesting and challenging debates. Papers can be reviews, syntheses, viewpoints, meta-analyses, or original research. Theoretical and applied contributions may include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Simulation models and techniques (e.g., Agent-Based Model, Cellular Automata, Fuzzy Cognitive Maps, System Dynamics) for human-environment interactions.
• Using Artificial Intelligence techniques and systems to model human-environment interactions (e.g., case-based reasoning systems, machine learning, data mining).
• Software or implementations covering issues of scalability, usability, or integration.
• Methodologies for parts of the modelling process (e.g., design, analysis).
• Engagement of participants (i.e. participatory modelling) in building or using models.

Prof. Dr. Arika Ligmann-Zielinska
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.