This book presents research on the cutting edge of theory and practice of ecosystem approaches. The work incorporates an understanding of complex adaptive systems and employs techniques for modelling human activity and the physical environment as a socio-ecological system.

The research is oriented toward management of the Cooum River, an extremely polluted stream that flows through the city of Chennai (Madras), India. The situation is complicated by high levels of population growth, poverty, uncontrolled urban development, jurisdictional conflicts, mechanistic management approaches, flat topography, monsoon flooding, tidal action, and blockage of the river mouth. During the dry season the river's upper reaches are dry and flow through the city is mostly due to production of sewage.

Drawing upon techniques of Adaptive Management and Soft Systems Methodology, the research involved a series of stakeholder workshops in a participatory process oriented toward problem definition, system identification and conceptualization, determination of objectives for management, and generation of management alternatives. A central component was the development of a Decision Support System for environmental modelling and scenario analysis. This loosely-coupled GIS, simulation model and decision support module is based upon a framework developed by workshop participants.