![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Objectives
The goal of ReVA is to develop and demonstrate an approach to comprehensive, regional-scale assessment that effectively informs decision-makers as to the magnitude, extent, distribution, and uncertainty of current and anticipated environmental vulnerabilities. Vulnerability, in this context, is defined as the risk of serious degradation of the ecological goods and services that are valued by society. As such, it requires information on current resource condition, estimated sensitivity of resources to various stresses, estimated spatial distributions of stressors, characterizations of potential effects including synergistic effects, and estimates of the resource's value to society. Future vulnerability will then include, in addition, estimates of changes in socio-economic drivers and resulting changes in stressor patterns, changes in resource sensitivity, and changes in value to society.
ReVA's objectives are the sequential steps needed to achieve the goal:
- Provide regional-scale, spatially explicit information on the extent and distribution of both stressors and sensitive resources.
- Develop and evaluate techniques to integrate information on exposure and effects so that relative risk can be assessed and management actions can be prioritized.
- Predict potential consequences of environmental changes under alternative future scenarios.
- Effectively communicate economic and quality of life trade-offs associated with alternative environmental policies.
- Develop techniques to prioritize areas for ecological restoration.
- Identify information gaps and recommend actions to improve monitoring and focus research.