Tag: Technology



South African Waste Information Centre (SAWIC)

South Africa in some cases has gone beyond responding to requests for environmental information by proactively providing environmental information to the public. For example, the Department of Environmental Affairs has created the South African Waste Information Centre (SAWIC), a website that provides a wide spectrum of information on waste management to the public. In …   Continue readingSouth African Waste Information Centre (SAWIC)

Environmental Profile of Spain, Providing Ease of Access to Mobile Devices

The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment has published an annual report since 2004 entitled "Environmental Profile of Spain. Indicator-based Report.” This annual publication provides an overview of the environmental situation in Spain, increases the country’s knowledge about the environment, provides specific data, monitors policies intended to …   Continue readingEnvironmental Profile of Spain, Providing Ease of Access to Mobile Devices

Environmental Democracy Index

The World Resources institute (WRI) is a global research organization that works at “the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being.” The Access Initiative is a global network of civil society organisations that promote access to information, participation and justice in environmental decision-making. WRI and The Access Initiative (TAI) are …   Continue readingEnvironmental Democracy Index

The Taking Stock Programme of the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation

Since 1994, Canada, Mexico and the United States have collaborated in protecting North America's environment through the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), which came into force at the same time as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The NAAEC established an intergovernmental organization, the Commission for Environmental …   Continue readingThe Taking Stock Programme of the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation

Costa Rica’s State of the Nation Report

The State of the Nation Report is an annual report that serves as a performance monitoring system for Costa Rica, through the selection, measurement and evaluation of a wide range of components of sustainable human development. The report was established as part of the Programa Estado de la Nación/State of the Nation Program in 1994 as a UN Development Programme project, …   Continue readingCosta Rica’s State of the Nation Report

Annual Report on the Environment and the Statistical Environmental Yearbook of the Czech Republic

The Czech Ministry of the Environment (MŽP) has been publishing an Annual Report on the Environment since 1994, and starting in 2005, the Czech Environmental Information Agency (CENIA) has gathered the information that informs the content of the report. The completed report is submitted for approval to the Government of the Czech Republic and subsequently submitted to …   Continue readingAnnual Report on the Environment and the Statistical Environmental Yearbook of the Czech Republic

Czech Republic’s Integrated Pollution Register

The Integrated Pollution Register, created through Czech Law No. 76 of 2002, is a publicly accessible, electronic database documenting environmental pollution from domestic industrial and agricultural facilities. The Register’s objective is to require regular periodical data reporting of releases and transfers of certain substances by companies and offers relevant and …   Continue readingCzech Republic’s Integrated Pollution Register

El Salvador’s Environmental Observatory

Since 2001, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) has operated El Salvador’s Environmental Observatory and its predecessor the National System of Territorial Studies (SNET). The Observatory aims to support environmental management and risk management through systematic observation of potential environmental threats related to meteorological, …   Continue readingEl Salvador’s Environmental Observatory

Harava, Web-based Participatory Planning

In 2009, the Finnish Government implemented the Action Programme on eServices and eDemocracy (SADe), a national development project designed to develop new tools for citizen participation and interaction in land use planning. Launched in June 2013 as part of SADe, Harava is an interactive map-based application being used by municipalities, cities, and local governments …   Continue readingHarava, Web-based Participatory Planning

Tarkkailija (“Observer”) – Web-Based Environmental Information Observer

Tarkkailija, a map-based web application launched in 2009, seeks to increase access to information regarding environmental and land use projects in different areas and cities by enabling interested parties to identify themes or locations that they would like the application to monitor. Once users specify the habitat, theme or plan that they would like to monitor, the web …   Continue readingTarkkailija (“Observer”) – Web-Based Environmental Information Observer

Laws on Access to Environmental Information

Most countries have adopted specific laws relating to access to information, and some, such as South Africa, have adopted constitutional provisions relating to access to information. In addition, some countries have adopted specific laws or constitutional provisions relating to access to environmental information. For example, Chile’s environmental framework law (La …   Continue readingLaws on Access to Environmental Information

Ontario’s Environmental Registry

The province of Ontario has created a web-based Environmental Registry where the public can access a wide spectrum of environmental-related information. The Environmental Registry was created pursuant to the requirements of the Ontario Environmental Bill of Rights, a comprehensive law whose purpose is, among other things, to protect the right to a healthful environment. …   Continue readingOntario’s Environmental Registry

National Meta-Register on Environmental Information (EcoRegister)

Serbia has created a public online database, the National Meta-Register on Information about Environment (EcoRegister) to provide information related to the environment. The database consists of thousands of documents from a wide range of organisations and institutions, including government agencies, private companies, research organisations, non-governmental …   Continue readingNational Meta-Register on Environmental Information (EcoRegister)