The Environmental Assessment Framework - Pressure State Response

The purpose of evaluation is not to just establish whether there are environmental problems or are likely to be environmental problems in the future. The evaluation also has to look at why these environmental problems have ocurred and what, if anything is being done about it. In addition for the purposes of this toolbox, whether the environmental damage is likely to be a result of the livestock management system, rather than other changes.

- Pressure - Why is it happening? - describes the human activities that are causing environmental changes
- State - What is happening? - describes the ecological / physical state of the environment
- Response - What is being done about it? - describes the policies and actions that affect the way people use the environment.

To understand the impacts of a livestock management system, all three components will need to be reviewed. The information derived from this evaluation can then direct attention towards solutions, rather than merely classifying problems.

Further details can be accessed in the page on Describing the Environment - The development of Indicators where indicators are discussed in relation to the Pressure-State-Response Framework, along with further information on PSR, DSR and DPSIR frameworks.

See Also

Pressure State Response Framework and Indicators - An Example from a Semi-arid Grazing System

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