Undertaking environmental monitoring and assessments

Integrated environmental assessment needs to be firmly based on reliable technical data and information. Environmental progress and policy effectiveness can be assessed only if quality data are routinely collected through monitoring systems. However, environmental monitoring infrastructure is poorly developed in most countries, making regular production of policy-relevant environmental data and indicators impossible. The situation is being exacerbated by the decline of some existing monitoring systems due to shrinking resources.

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities.

Agenda 21 recommends:

(a) environmental monitoring and assessment, both through improved participation by the UN system agencies in the Earthwatch programme and expanded relations with private scientific and non-governmental research institutes; and strengthening and making operational its early warning function;

(b) strengthening national, state/provincial and local assessment and ensuring cooperation/networking between existing environmental information and monitoring systems, such as Earthwatch and the Sahara and Sahel Observatory;

(c) supporting and concentrating UNEP capacity in this field.

1. Environmental assessments need data that are geo-referenced and information that is broken down by spatial areas other than administrative units. These data are still relatively scarce.

2. Assessment at regional and global scale requires the aggregation of data relating to smaller areas. Data can be aggregated only if they measure the same thing in the same way and with the same precision. Available data frequently do not measure up to these specifications.

3. Shortcomings make integrated, cross-sectoral global assessment and trend analysis always difficult and sometimes impossible.

1. Reconciling environmental concerns and development needs
2. Monitoring environmental pollution
3. Monitoring
4. Managing ecosystems sustainably
5. Evaluating environmental performance
6. Developing methods that safeguard environmental quality
7. Capturing environmental value

1. Undertaking community monitoring of resources
2. Reporting sources of environmental information used by international organizations
3. Reporting on global environmental status
4. Producing state-of-environment reports
5. Producing national environmental action plans
6. Producing environmental resource inventories
7. Practicing corporate environmental self-assessment
8. Monitoring progress on integrating environment and development goals
9. Monitoring pollution hazards of industrial research
10. Monitoring pollution
11. Monitoring ozone depletion
12. Monitoring global environment
13. Monitoring desertification
14. Monitoring changes in the marine environment
15. Monitoring biodiversity
16. Integrating climate change and environmental monitoring programmes
17. Improving environmental health monitoring
18. Establishing local monitoring group
19. Establishing criteria for monitoring forest resources
20. Creating environmental monitoring and assessment systems
21. Conducting natural resources damage assessments
22. Conducting environmental audits
23. Collecting environmental data
24. Assessing environmental impacts

1. Strengthening scientific and technological capacity

1. Involving civil society in environmental issues

1. Strengthening cradle-to-grave environmental impact assessment of hazardous waste
2. Providing environmental monitoring equipment in development aid programmes
3. Providing environmental information systems
4. Integrating transboundary air pollution monitoring with environmental monitoring
5. Conducting technology assessments

1. Inadequate environmental monitoring

1. Environmental monitoring
2. Environmental monitoring
3. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
4. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING
5. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND SCIENCE
6. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING
7. Institute for Water Education: Water & Ecosystems Quality
8. Journal of Environmental Monitoring
9. Arctic Focus: Environmental Monitoring Led by Inuit Community
10. European Environmental Monitoring and Consultancy
11. Institute for Environmental Management & Assessment
12. Bird Studies Canada