Transcript CLIMATE CHANGE Electronic Tools to Implement the Aarhus

the Aarhus Convention
( A “Snapshot” of priorities, challenges and case studies)
SB 18, Bonn
Maria Khovanskaia
E-mail: [email protected]
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Electronic Tools to Implement
Strengthening Information Society
to exchange good practice, know-how, and to provide
capacity building
support in the sphere of electronic information and communication technologies;
focus: on technologies that can help to support the
the Aarhus Convention;
implementation of
Dublin Sept, 2000: “snapshot” survey on ECE countries
to identify priority
wishes (“gaps”) wrt electronic tools and the Convention, and the challenges associated with
implementation to identify the future activities was
delegated to the REC
Arendal, Norway, March, 2001: review of preliminary
results
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Aahrus Convention’s Electronic Tools Task Force
“Snapshot” Survey
Executing Agency: REC
Donor: the Government of Japan
Structure:
Section 1: brief summary of the main findings
Section 2: where priorities lay wrt implementing (electronically) the Convention’s specific
provisions in the future. Methodology: a questionnaire where the key articles, paragraphs and
sub-paragraphs were listed. Feedback was sought via a simple check list. Focus: on
technologies supporting dissemination and public access.
Section 3 details the priorities wrt specific technologies (such as Internet,email, digital message
board, teletext and so on). Another questionnare.
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Time: January-March 2001
Snapshot Survey (cont)
Section 5. Application of electronic tools. Respondents were requested to submit the case
studies and complete the third questionnaire.
Section 6 draw some linkages between the usefulness of the case studies received and the
highlighted priorities and challenges
Section 7 provides recommendations
Countries: Western Europe (Belgium Flanders, Denmark, Germany,Norway, Spain, UK), CEE
(the Czech Republic, FYR Macedonia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) and NIS (Kazakhstan,
Kyrgystan, Moldova, Ukraine)
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Section 4 identifies the key challenges and obstacles to implementing these technologies
ranging from economic to cultural.
Snapshot survey
www.rec.org/e-aarhus
http://fs9.rec.org/sos/search.php
Project staff:
Jerome Simpson (Head of the information Programme)
Stephen Stec (Legal specialist)
Magdolna Toth Nady (Head of the PP Programme)
Marianna Bolshakova (PM, PP Programme)
Gabor Heves (Webmaster)
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Useful websites:
Main findings
1. Interest was greatest among countries in electronic tools that will assist in the dissemination of environmental
information (under Art.5 of the Convention). Most popular were electronic media that will support the dissemination of:
The type and scope of environmental information held by the public authorities;
Lists/registries of environmental data and state of the environmental information;
Policies, plans and programmes;
Environmental progress reports
2. Of lesser importance were electronic tools that could facilitate public participation in specific projects under Art.6, while
other electronic mechanisms facilitating public involvement in the preparation of legal instruments and policies (Art.7,8)
received almost no interest
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Convention Article and Paragraph Priorities
Convention Article and Paragraph Priorities
The NIS region showed a broad interest in all areas of the Convention;
The CEE and West European Sub-regions showed big interest in Art. 5 and limited
interest in Art. 3 (information about Aarhus Convention)
No interest from those two regions was shown in Art 7 an 8, nor Art.9 on access to
justice
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Regionally:
The Internet was ranked the most important electronic tool for 1-way provision of access to
environmental information. CD-ROM, email, SMS were considered to a lesser extent important
tools for information dissemination;
Telephone/fax machines, email, SMS were considered most popular as 2-way communication
tools, rather that Internet;
Newspapers, brochures and posters were important non-electronic tools
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Main findings
Priorities for electronic tools
Regionally:
In Western Europe, the Internet was rated an important 2-way communication mechanism,
besides electronic tools that support real-time state of the environment data capture, exchange
and dissemination;
In CEE, Internet and CD-ROM were most popular for publishing, and e-mail and public kiosks
for dialog exchange;
In the NIS, a keen interest was shown in a diverse selection of modern and traditional
electronic tools, for dissemination and 2-way communication.
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Main findings
Priorities for electronic tools
Institutional obstacles were rated the greatest challenge, followed closely by the economic constraints. In
particular, the limited time available to learn more about new electronic tools and to implement them.
Limited skills and expertise were related cultural obstacles;
The limited standardization of data, and unclear rules and regulations regarding environmental and
informational responsibilities were also common constraints.
Regionally:
In Western Europe, the increasing collection and dissemination of environmental information at local and
regional levels is considered to be an obstacle, and as consequence, data ownership issues an software
inoperability;
In CEE, institutional challenges were most common;
In the NIS region, economic costs, e.g. the high costs of online access and IT equipment were marginally
more important than the institutional challenges
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Main findings
Challenges and Obstacles to Implementation
Electronic tools were commonly used to passively disseminate environmental information
under Art. 5 and in relation to specific projects under Art.6. Very few related to the more
interactive elements of Art.6, and 4, 7,8.
Almost all of 36 case studies gathered relied on the Internet to disseminate information to
the public. However, examples were also gathered regarding the use of telephone hotlines, CDROM, display boards, and email networks.
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Main findings
Case Studies
WEUR
CEE
NIS
ROW
Total
Electronic tools
1
Noticeboards
Internet (for PC)
12
1
9
SMS, email, Intranet,
6
1
27
1
LAN/WAP
Tel.Hotline/Fax
2
2
Non-electronic tools
1
Brochures, leaflets
Information Centers
Telecottages
2
1
1
1
3
1
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Case Studies
Recommendations for policy makers
2. Liberalization of telecommunication market.
3. Standardization of environmental monitoring and reporting.
4. Adoption of the educational strategies.
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1. Increase attention towards the Internet as a 2-way communication medium (useful for interacting
with citizens and enhancing the practice of “online governance”, hence, supporting compliance
with Art. 6,7 and 8).
[email protected]
[email protected]
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www.rec.org
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