Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

UNEP Regional Office for Latin America & the UNEP Regional Office for Latin America & the CaribbeanCaribbean

UNEP Regional Office for Latin America & the UNEP Regional Office for Latin America & the CaribbeanCaribbean

DWG ¨Data-to-Indicators¨ Meeting16-17th June 2003, Geneva

DWG ¨Data-to-Indicators¨ Meeting16-17th June 2003, Geneva

GEO Data & Indicators in LACGEO Data & Indicators in LAC

Prepared by DEWA-LAC & the Development Observatory,

University of Costa Rica (OdD-UCR)

Regional Overview

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Undertake environmental assessments and provide relevant information to support environmental management, decision-making and policy-setting.

Regional Goal:Regional Goal:Regional Goal:Regional Goal:

DEWA-LACDEWA-LAC

Main partners in Main partners in LAC:LAC:Main partners in Main partners in LAC:LAC:

Development Observatory, University of Costa Rica

Centre for Geography and Geometrics Research (CentroGeo), Mexico

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

GEO Family of Assessments GEO Family of Assessments

GEO GlobalGEO Global

Regional AssessmentsRegional Assessments GEO Latin America and the Caribbean 2000GEO Latin America and the Caribbean (03)

Sub-regional AssessmentsSub-regional AssessmentsAndes (03), Caribbean 2 (04),

C. America (03), Southern Cone (05)

Data and IndicatorsData and Indicators

Thematic / EW AssessmentsThematic / EW AssessmentsClimate change (03)Health and environment (04)Marine and coastal (03)

GEO CitiesGEO CitiesRio, Manaus (02), Mexico, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Havana, Arequipa (03 - 04)

YouthYouthPeru (02), Argentina (03), Mexico (04), Uruguay (04), Havana (04), Nicaragua (04)

National AssessmentsNational AssessmentsPanama, Chile 1 & 2, Cuba, Peru,

Nicaragua,Barbados, Costa Rica, Brazil, El Salvador

(03), Mexico (03), St. Lucia (04), Haiti (04), Dominican Rep. (04), Venezuela (04),

Argentina (04)

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Forum of Ministers of the Environment in Latin Forum of Ministers of the Environment in Latin America and the CaribbeanAmerica and the CaribbeanForum of Ministers of the Environment in Latin Forum of Ministers of the Environment in Latin America and the CaribbeanAmerica and the Caribbean

• establish a regional data and information system to assist environmental decision-making (X Meeting of the Forum, Argentina 1996).

• develop environmental and sustainability indicators to enhance national capacity in generating data and information X Meeting of the Forum, Argentina 1996).

• develop an environmental vision for the region, as the starting point towards a regional information system to assist environmental decision-making (1st Special Inter-sessional Meeting of the Forum, New York 1998).

• take leadership in the preparation of regional and sub-regional assessment reports through strengthening of the network of GEO collaboration centres and experts (XII Meeting of the Forum, Barbados 2000).

• continue to develop bases of environmental data and indicator to assist countries in the region in monitoring of the progress being made regarding sustainable development .... ,The Forum request the govenment of Costa Rica to coordinate the work related to the development of environmental indicators in LAC (XIII Meeting of the Forum, Brazil, 2001).

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

GEO LAC 2000Statistical annexes with 180 variables/ indicators for every five years from 1980 to 1998.

GEO Statistics CD-ROMMore than 200 environmental and socio-economic variables and indicators for every five years from 1970 to 1990 and every year from 1990 to 2000, with definitions, references and some graphics.

GEO Statistics (book)180 environmental and socio-economic variables and indicators for every five years from 1970 to 1990 and every year from 1990 to 2000. With detailed references.

GEO Data in LAC - HistoryGEO Data in LAC - HistoryGEO Data in LAC - HistoryGEO Data in LAC - History

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

GEO Data in LAC - Current statusGEO Data in LAC - Current statusGEO Data in LAC - Current statusGEO Data in LAC - Current status

Environmental Database at the Development ObservatoryEnvironmental Database at the Development Observatory

• 400+ time series (environmental + socio-economic).

• Regional and UN sources have been used, even though decisions have been made to change regional sources for global ones, for which access is less restricted, depending on type of data required.

• Sources are specialized in the matter (for instance, although FAO publishes population data, this organization is used as reference only on statistics on agriculture, forests and fisheries).

• Continuous updating (one full time statistician)

• Special datasets extracted upon request to serve data needs in the region

• GEO LAC Data & indicators Tool Kit / Sistema de Informacion Estadistica Ambiental Nacional (SIEAN) being completed

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Thematic areas and sourcesThematic areas and sourcesThematic areas and sourcesThematic areas and sources

The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED)

NATURAL HAZARDS

Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Center (CELADE); ONU; CEPAL

URBAN AND INDUSTRIAL AREAS

Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC); Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE)

ATMOSPHERE

WCMC; FAOMARINE AND COASTAL AREAS

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)FRESHWATER

World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC)

BIODIVERSITY

FAOFORESTS

FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization)

LAND

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

GEO LAC Data & indicators Tool Kit / Sistema de GEO LAC Data & indicators Tool Kit / Sistema de Informacion Estadistica Ambiental Nacional (SIEAN) Informacion Estadistica Ambiental Nacional (SIEAN)

a software designed to provide an initial framework to construct an environmental database at the national level using the GEO regional database as model. Nationally collected and assembled data can be forwarded to a master regional database at the OdD.

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

UNEP.Net online information and data portal for LAC and Mesoamerica

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Issues & actions requiredIssues & actions required

• To improve GEO LAC Data & indicators Tool Kit (SIEAN) by:

- training national focal points in LAC; - receiving users´ feedback on its applicability; - completing the development of a SIEAN interface that

allows accumulation of nationally collected data in a mater database; etc.

• To continue to enhance the quality and quantity of data in the regional database by:

- harmonising data collection at the national level; - enriching the existing database with nationally-sourced

data; - enabling effective dissemination of already-

accumulated data using existing instruments such as GEO Data Portal and UNEP.Net

- metadata??

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Develop an environmental data hubDevelop an environmental data hub

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

GEO Data Portal in LAC prototype presented by GRID-Geneva at the Workshop

Issues & actions requiredIssues & actions required

GEO Data Portal Version LACGEO Data Portal Version LAC The 4-day workshop on UNEP global and regional data portal for LAC held at OdD-UCR on 25th - 28th of Nov. 02. Participated by the reps of OdD-UCR, DEWA-LAC, UNEP/DEWA/GRID-Geneva, CentroGeo, and el Centro de Información, Gestión y Educación Ambiental (CIEA, Cuba).

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

GEO Data Portal Version LAC (continued)GEO Data Portal Version LAC (continued)

Objectives of the Costa Rica Workshop

• To follow-up the decisions made at the Global/Regional Data Portals, Standards and Tools Meeting in December 2001 in Geneva by developing a pilot regional manifestation of the Geo Data Portal (global) developed by GRID – Geneva;

• To discuss steps to harmonize data contents and tools of the Global and Regional Portals;

• To review the content of the exiting GEO LAC Data Tool Box to use as the content of the LAC Regional Data Portal, and

• To plan future actions to complete the development of the LAC Regional Data Portal

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Issues & actions requiredIssues & actions requiredGEO Data Portal Version LAC (continued)GEO Data Portal Version LAC (continued)

Outcomes of the Costa Rica Workshop

• User group analysis (global vs. regional)

• Major discussions on: the concept of a Regional Portal (i.e. regional customization of the existing Global GEO Data Portal vs. development of a new Regional Portal); the compatibility of datasets used in Global GEO Data Portal and GEO LAC Tool Kit (including data classification/Taxonomy), and usability of the settings and features of Global GEO Data Portal in LAC.

• Agreement that the Regional Data Portal should build itself on the existing Global GEO Data Portal (global) as much as possible, but shall offer additional features that would cover the needs of its additional user group with as with the fastest possible access speed.

• Workshop report with a proposal of the development of GEO LAC Portal with budget required

• Technical evaluation report on the Regional Data Portal prototype produced by GRID – Geneva, based on the concepts of a Regional Data Portal and its users’ needs that were identified during the workshop

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Information on Indicators Information on Indicators Development and Rural Development and Rural Sustainability Indicators for Sustainability Indicators for Central AmericaCentral America

GEO Indicators in LAC - History & current statusGEO Indicators in LAC - History & current statusGEO Indicators in LAC - History & current statusGEO Indicators in LAC - History & current status

Indicators for the LAC Initiative for Sustainable Indicators for the LAC Initiative for Sustainable DevelopmentDevelopmentA new initiative of the government of Costa Rica with support from UNEP/ROLAC and World Bank responding to the decisions made by the Forum of Ministers at WSSD 2

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Envir

onm

enta

l A

ssess

ment

& E

arl

y W

arn

ing

Issues & actions requiredIssues & actions required

Environmental statistics & indicators in LACEnvironmental statistics & indicators in LAC

• To establish a permanent programme to support the development of environmental statistics at the national level in LAC

• To seek interagency support to this programme

• To satisfy environmental data needs from agencies as well as international conventions

DEWA-LACUNEP Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean

Blvd. de los Virreyes 155, Lomas de VirreyesCP 11000 México, D.F., MEXICO

http://www.pnuma.org/http://www.pnuma.org/dewalacdewalac

http://www.odd.ucr.ac.crhttp://www.odd.ucr.ac.cr

University of Costa Rica Development ObservatoryCampus UniversitarioSan José, COSTA RICA