Background

Agenda 21, Chapter 40 on information for decision-making outlines the needs of improved capacities for information management to make environmental information better accessible. UNEP's Division of Environmental Information and Assessment (DEIA) mandate is "to provide the world community with improved access to meaningful data and information, and to help increase the capacity of governments to use environmental information for decision-making and action planning for sustainable human development.

To meet these needs UNEP/DEIA is providing assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition to strengthen their environmental data and information management capacities. Programme outputs will be an operational global environmental information network. The UNEP approach consists of four stages of activities (Assessment - Feasibility - Implementation - Operational) for which guidelines have been developed. Among these stages, the assessment will give the first broad overview of the environmental information situation in the country.

Objective of Assessment Report

Assess in a general way the environmental information systems capacities and needs in the country. This status report will be used as input to a regional programme initialization workshop with the purpose to start-up the feasibility phase.

Tangible Output

A short (20 pages) report on the status of the National Environmental Information Network in the country with emphasis on environmental information systems and national and international institutional cooperation and information exchange. The table of contents of the assessment report is attached. UNEP/DEIA will provide guiding assistance in the report generation, provide sample documents and tools (such as questionnaires, sample meta-database) and also conduct the final editing.

The activities will be conducted by consultants under contractual arrangements with UNEP (GRID-Arendal). The reports are to be written in English and should be made available in digital (standard word processing format).

Assessment Report: Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary

2. Background (Country Profile)

2.1 Brief country profile (Geography, History, Economy)

2.2 Environmental Issues and Environmental Decision-Making: The Role of Environmental Information in improving policy and management decisions.

3. Status of Environmental Information Network

3.1 National-level network: Analysis of institutional framework, main institutions involved and mandates: Ministry of Environment, Mapping Authority, Remote Sensing, Statistical Office, Sectors (Agriculture, Planning, Meteorology, Forests, Water, Wildlife, Health, Industry), Education (Universities), Private Sector, NGOs

3.2 Sub-National environmental information network

3.3 International networking: Links and support, on-going and planned projects of relevance.

3.4 Analysis of Legal Framework: Existing legislation regarding management and public access to environmental information.

3.5 Economic considerations regarding the implementation of environmental information systems and the dissemination of environmental information.

3.6 Information use in decision-making, education and the media

4. General Needs Assessment

4.1 Priority Needs of Information for decision-making

4.2 Legislation on management and accessibility of environmental information.

4.3 Financing of environmental information management.

4.4 Improving Institutional framework

4.5 Cooperation with International (Global and Regional) Environmental Programmes, including UNEP and UN-wide environmental databases.

4.6 Methodologies for integration of data and information between the sectorial agencies and between the sub-national and national entities.

4.7 Priority information technology needs.

4.8 Priority needs for Database and metadatabase development

4.9 Training Needs

5. Proposed Action

5.1 Proposed action for quick improvements

5.2 Proposed pilot activities

5.3 Perceived Constraints for improvements

Appendix (Database and Information Products, Directories)

Relevant contact addresses: National Institutions, Sectorial Agencies, Universities

Environmental Legislation

Existing metadatabases and catalogues on available spatial data

State of the Environment reports

Relevant ongoing or planned related projects or programmes