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What is the Pathways Generator?

The Pathways Generator helps you explore policy pathways in an interactive way, for example, together with stakeholders. The results are shown in a pathways map. Pathways are sequences (or portfolios) of actions over time to achieve a set of pre-defined objectives under uncertain and changing future conditions. Pathways are part of a policy and planning framework (e.g. Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways (DAPP)[1]), which incorporates the evaluation of costs and benefits with monitoring to track both policy implementation and any changing conditions. The DAPP approach is built upon the notion that decisions are made over time in dynamic interaction with the system of concern and cannot be considered independently. In the same way that all roads lead to Rome, there are also countless paths to reach the future.

Click on the two figures below to view example pathways maps.

Figure 1: River sedimentation & navigation                                  Figure 2: IJsselmeer under climate change induced sea level rise

How to use the Pathways Generator

The Pathways Generator is a simple application to use.

1.   Download the executable onto your computer and start the programme by double clicking on it.

2.   Choose approach

In the current version, there are two ways to generate pathways:

1. Using adaptation tipping points based on the conditions under which a policy fails. Scenarios are then used to assess the timing of the tipping points.

2. Using the timing of adaptation tipping points determined from an analysis of different scenarios.

In method 1 a vulnerability assessment can be used to assess the main conditions for unacceptable performance of the system under consideration (e.g. at sea level rise of 1 m, the performance is unacceptable; with action X acceptable performance is reached until 2 m of sea level rise). In method 2 the performance of the current situation and potential adaptation actions must be assessed over time via either transient or semi-static analyses, before being compared to any threshold values for unacceptable performance.

3.   Add Actions

After selecting your approach, the next step is to set the characteristics of the current system and actions. Either, add the conditions under which a tipping point is reached (method 1) or when the tipping is reached (method 2). This can be done for several actions [click on Actions]. For method 2, the timing can be added for different scenarios [click on Scenarios].

4.   Generate Pathways

You can then begin to generate your pathways [click on pathways]. Select the first actions, and any subsequent actions. Identify whether the pathway is a combination of actions (both stay implemented and will be maintained) or whether it is a sequence of actions (one action commences after an earlier action concludes). Combination actions are drawn with a dashed line of the two combining action colours.

5.   Add Scenarios

The next step is to add scenario scales to your pathways [click on Scenarios]. Scenarios create a link between conditions and timing (condition based pathways), or allow you create additional columns for timing of the tipping points (time based pathways).

6.   Modify the Pathways Map

The final step is to modify the appearance of the pathways map. The 'X-axis setting' button allows you to define a caption and range for the x-axis of the map, while the 'Graph Settings' button allows you to define the map size, legend size, among other settings.
 

Two short instructional videos illustrating how to to create pathways maps, can be found on the following two pages:

• Video Tutorial: Condition-Based Pathways Map
• Video Tutorial: Time-Based Pathways Map

Both videos use the navigation example illustrated above.

Conditions for use

The Pathways Generator is free for all to use. Do not distribute the software without this accompanying flyer.  There are no extra or hidden costs to obtain or use the software, provided that proper reference is given to its use, developers and the DAPP methodology (refer to the About section, below). In order to sustain the development of the software, we do ask that you involve us in your projects. This will provide the necessary resources to further develop the Pathways Generator’s capabilities.

Share your experience

Please share your experiences of using the Pathways Generator with us! Share your pathways maps, along with any publication material if available. If possible, we would like to post them on this website to share with the ‘pathways community’ . Also, your feedback on the tool  is valuable so we can improve and elaborate it. Contact details can be found at the bottom of this page.

Join in the development!

The Pathways Generator is a living project. The version that you are working with now is the co-production of many partners. If you identify a potential capability that you would like to incorporate into the Pathways Generator, please contact us and involve us in your project. We are always seeking to further develop the software, and would welcome your collaboration. Proper recognition for any resources received would of course be given within the application and its associated documentation.

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About About

About

The Pathways Generator is developed by and remains the copyright of: 

Development to date has been generously made possible by the following parties/projects:

• Deltares, NL

• Carthago Consultancy, NL

• Wellington City Council, NZ

• Ministry for the Environment, NZ

• RISES, the European Union’s Seventh Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration 
  under Grant Agreement No:FP7-ENV-2013-Two-Stage-603396- RISES-AM-

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Contact Contact

Contact

For any suggestions or questions regarding the Pathways Generator, please feel free to contact any of the below individuals: