Running the Optimization

Running the optimization

To create an ELSA action map showing priority areas for the implementation of KMGBF Targets 1-12, the optimization executed by the tool follows three hard-coded rules:

• It should not exceed selected area-based constraints;
• It must include selected lock-in areas; and
• It should include areas that best represent planning features based on their spatial distribution and weighting.

Once you have named your analysis run, set area-based constraints, lock-in functionalities, a boundary penalty factor, and edited planning feature weights, the analysis run is ready to be executed. This can be done by clicking on the blue ‘RUN ANALYSIS’ button in the bottom-right corner of the analysis run pop-up window. Note that this button will only become available to click and execute once all relevant parameters have been filled in.

Figure 13. Run analysis

The analysis may take between one and five minutes to run. However, if the country is large, there are many planning features being used, or a high boundary penalty factor is applied, it may take much longer. You will see a progress bar documenting the status of the analysis. We advise against running a second ELSA analysis while before the first analysis has completed. Once the progress bar has reached 100% and the analysis has been executed, you can view the result of your analysis as the most recent entry in the left tab under ‘ANALYSIS RUNS’.

Next Steps

The following chapters detail how you can view, evaluate, and analyse the results of your ELSA analysis. If you wish to change the parameters of your analysis and execute a new run after evaluating the results, you can duplicate a previous run, edit it, and create a new version.

Figure 14. ELSA analysis run in real-time