The Waikato Integrated Scenario Explorer (WISE) is a dynamic, spatially-explicit computer simulation model that integrates economic, demographic, environmental (climate, hydrology, water quality, biodiversity) and land use (suitability, accessibility, local influence, zoning) information to assess the effects and trade-offs of alternative future development scenarios or the consequences of policy options. The modular platform used to build WISE is transferable to other locations or regions. Similar models are currently developed for Auckland and Wellington.
A short video about the spatial planning tool WISE, the Waikato Integrated Scenario Explorer, has been released.
Development of WISE consisted of a four stage process:
The overall system design for WISE Version 1.4 (Figure below) consists of an integrated set of models that operate across four spatial scales: New Zealand & the World, the Waikato region, cities and districts and local for the land use change (100 m × 100 m grid cells) and terrestrial biodiversity models (100 m × 100 m grid cells). WISE consists of more detailed sub-models, each of which varies in detail, data, and internal structure. WISE operates on an annual time step, with simulations beginning in 2018 and ending in 2067. Arrows represent links or flows among the different models. The direction of the arrow shows the direction of flow.
Following the release of several prototypes, and version 1.1 - 1.5, a new 1.6 version of WISE has been released in 2022. The WISE version 1.6.0 features a number of improvements on the previous version to enhance its performance and capability. The 1.6 version now has a starting date of 2018. The key factors that drives the land use change model have also been updated (Council zoning, suitability layers, transport network layers, population projections based on 2018 census, and updated inputs to the economic growth model).
WISE will be updated again following the 2023 Census, including up-to-date supporting population, economic, and zoning data.