| BACKGROUND
Why do we use indicators for environmental reporting?
Since the first United Nations (UN) Conference on the Environment,
held in Stockholm in 1972, there has been a growing awareness
of the impacts of economic development on the environment.
This awareness and interest reached a peak in June 1992, with
the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development
in Rio (UNCED). At UNCED it was acknowledged that there is
a need for countries to find a balance between the economic
and social demands on the world's ecosystems and the need
to conserve the natural resources on which the economic and
social systems depend. This balance was termed 'sustainable
development'.
UNCED highlighted gaps in our understanding of the earth's
ecological processes that were hindering our ability to act
in the interests of, and take decisions regarding, sustainable
development. Access to reliable and
up-to-date information is vital for environmental managers,
governments, and community organisations, to take responsibility
for, and action to enhance environmental conditions.
Agenda
21, the Global Programme of Action adopted at the conference,
called for improved availability of environmental information,
specifically:
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- Strengthening existing mechanisms for information
processing and exchange to ensure effective and equitable
availability of information generated at the local,
provincial, national and international levels;
- Strengthening national capacities (Governments,
NGOs, and the private sector) in information handling
and communication; and
- Full participation of developing countries in UN
systems of collection, analysis and use of data and
information.
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Indicators and State of the Environment reporting were developed
in response to this call for improved availability of environmental
information.
Environmental indicators have several benefits that they bring
to SOE reporting:
- They provide an early warning system of change;
- They monitor the effectiveness of policy;
- They monitor pressures on the environment;
- They monitor changes in the state of the environment;
- They monitor impacts on the environment; and
- They monitor societal responses to the changes in the
state of the environment.
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