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To support more sustainable development of a region, decision support tools must consider local and global systems level impacts on the economy, environment, and society. Through the development and application of "economic input–output water resources" models for Beijing, China for the years 1985, 1990, and 1992, historical trends related to the economy structure and its water use are investigated. The study finds that the economy of Beijing and water use are highly concentrated in agriculture and heavy industry, but this intensive water use is indirectly reflected in the production of most other goods and services throughout the economy because of the interrelationships among various sectors of the economy. In spite of progress during the time period observed (e.g., between 1985 and 1990 the output of the economy doubled, but water consumption increased only 12% partly because of a significant increase in the price of water in 1988) and given the seriousness of water resources issues in the region, it is critical that future regional development make progress toward a more water-efficient economic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental and human health impacts of engineering activities have reshaped the way engineers make decisions. Increasingly, engineering decision-making is taking into consideration the full life cycle implications of engineering activities. This paper details the development and application of a national economic input–output-based life cycle assessment model, a tool for guiding engineering decision-making, for the Canadian economy. The model consists of 61 industries and 103 commodities and incorporates economic and environmental–resource data, including marginal resource consumption, energy use, releases of National Pollutant Release Inventory compounds, and emissions of greenhouse gases. The model is useful for evaluating various development strategies and analyzing the potential direct and indirect impacts of alternative public policies on the Canadian economy and environment. The model is applied to various sectors of the Canadian economy, and the life-cycle implications of demands for different commodities are determined, including demand for electricity and construction materials for highway design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]