Creation of Global Databases

Abstract:

<p>A significant influence on the feasibility of global integrated assessment will be the routine collection and availability of data of adequate quality through monitoring systems and surveys, collected and analysed on a consistent basis. This note describes progress in the development of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) Project which at this stage appears to offer the best prospect of meeting this need.</p> <p>A few broad-brush conclusions appear to emerge from work on global databases so far: <ol> <li>In practice, even with GEO, it has simply not proven feasible to identify (let alone make available) each and every data set used for integrated environment assessment and underlying research around the world; the amount of data would be simply overwhelming.</li> <li>Although global, harmonised core data sets are improving, expanding and more easily accessible, there are still numerous inconsistencies and shortcomings. Most of these uncertainties have been highlighted in the main report.</li> <li>In particular, to date, little information is available for assessment of environmental impacts on human health and natural ecosystems and of societal responses to and effectiveness of environmental policy actions.</li> </ol></p> <p>The data sets need to be collated, tailored and made available to the partners for integrated environment assessment (IEA), most notably in the realm of UNEP's GEO. The four critical questions on data for IEA/GEO assessment and reporting can thus be identified as follows: <ol> <li>What information do we need?</li> <li>What data do we have and what is missing?</li> <li>How can we derive the necessary information from existing 'raw' data sets?</li> <li>How do we organise, operate and improve data and information management in the real world?</li> </ol></p> <p>The first years of the GEO assessment project have shown great strides in identifying the core data sets for IEA/GEO, as well as some of the most obvious gaps and shortcomings. The identification process largely focused on questions 1 and 2 and produced an extensive list of existing core data sets for global environment assessment, based on needs listed by various organisations.</p> <p>There is also considerable overlap among different environment-related reporting programmes. This would imply the need to compile a generic, flexible core database, which can also serve other assessments than GEO. The sheer magnitude actually makes it very difficult for any single organisation to compile such an empirical base. Thus, in fact, this could and should be an UN-wide effort, which would benefit the assessment activities of UNEP, UNDP, FAO, CSD, IPCC, Convention Secretariats, UN Economic Commissions and possibly others.</p>

Author(s):

Anon