End users of MIDA – a government perspective Trevor Harrison Environment and Heritage Service...

End users of MIDA – a End users of MIDA – a government perspectivegovernment perspective

Trevor HarrisonTrevor Harrison

Environment and Heritage Service

Department of the Environment Northern Ireland

The Environment & The Environment & Heritage ServiceHeritage Service

Background:Background:

Planning Service

Local Government &

Road Safety

Corporate Services

Environmental Policy RSVSD Local

Government


Built Heritage

Natural Heritage

Environmental Protection

Corporate Services

Water Management Unit

Waste Management & Contaminated Land

Industrial Pollution & Radiochemical

Inspectorate

Air & Environmental Quality

Drinking Water Inspectorate

Protecting Historic Buildings

Protecting Historic Monuments

Recording Built Heritage

Conservation Science

Conservation Designations &

Protection

Countryside & Coast

Regional Operations

Biodiversity


Drivers:Drivers:

International ConventionsInternational Conventions The Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping

of Wastes and Other Matter (London Convention)

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL Convention)

The Convention on Wetlands 1975 (Ramsar Convention)

The Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention)

The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR Convention)

The Convention on Biological Diversity (Rio Convention)

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention) & The Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Seas (ASCOBANS)

Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds (Birds Directive)

Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (Habitats Directive)

Council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources (Nitrates Directive)

Council Directive 76/160/EEC concerning the Quality of Bathing Water (Bathing Water Directive)

Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for the Community action in the field of water policy (Water Framework Directive)

Directive establishing a Framework for Community Action in the field of Marine Environmental Policy (Marine Strategy Directive)

Drivers:Drivers:

European LegislationEuropean Legislation

Drivers:Drivers:

National LegislationNational Legislation The Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985

The Conservation (Nature Habitats, etc.) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995

The Industrial Pollution Control (Northern Ireland) Order 1997

The Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999

The Environment (Northern Ireland) Order 2002 (ASSIs)

The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

The Protection of Water Against Agricultural Nitrate Pollution Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004

Environmentally Sensitive Areas Designation Order (Northern Ireland) 2005

To meet these obligations :

Identify and establish areas for conservation

• Nature Reserves

• National Parks

• Marine Reserves

• Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs)

• Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) • Special Protected Areas (SPAs)

• Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)

Requirements:Requirements:

To meet these obligations :

Identify and monitor priority habitats and species

• Habitat Action Plans (NI Boidiversity Strategy)

• Species Action Plans (NI Biodiversity Strategy)

• Annex I Habitats (Article 11 of the Habitats Directive)

• Annex II Species (Article 11 of the Habitats Directive)

• Water status (Article 8 of the Water Framework Directive)


To meet these obligations:

Report findings

• Government

• Europe

• International bodies

Educate and raise public awareness


Undertaken to develop a framework for marine nature conservation

The appropriate management of the marine environment is dependent on adequate information and data.

Data and InformationData and Information

DataData: : a collection of facts used for reference or analysis; a series a collection of facts used for reference or analysis; a series of observations, measurements, or facts.of observations, measurements, or facts.

Data versus Information

DataData: : a collection of facts used for reference or analysisa collection of facts used for reference or analysis

Data forms



Data forms Spreadsheets



Data forms Spreadsheets Databases


Information:Information: the meaning given to data by the way it is interpreted. the meaning given to data by the way it is interpreted.


DataData on its own has no meaning, only when interpreted by some on its own has no meaning, only when interpreted by some kind of data processing system does it take on meaning andkind of data processing system does it take on meaning and become become informationinformation..

Data InformationInterpretation



DataData on its own has no meaning, only when interpreted by some on its own has no meaning, only when interpreted by some kind of data processing system does it take on meaning andkind of data processing system does it take on meaning and become become informationinformation..

Data InformationInterpretation


People or computers can find patterns in People or computers can find patterns in datadata to to createcreateinformationinformation, and , and this this information can be used to reason or make information can be used to reason or make decisions.decisions.


Managers and decision-makers often use summary information


Managers and decision-makers often use summary information Data and InformationData and Information

Summary information is often required for reporting


Key

Favourable

Unfavourable - recovering

Unfavourable

Destroyed


The Bathing Water Directive

76/160/EEC

Regularly test the most popular bathing waters (16 sites)

• mainly bacteria

Bathing Waters in Northern Ireland


Bathing Waters in Northern Ireland

Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC)

Ecological Status

High

Good

Moderate

Poor

Bad



The Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC

Article 11 – surveillance of the conservation status of priority habitats and species (Annex I habitats and Annex II species)

Marine Surveys in Northern Ireland

Data and InformationData and InformationMarine Surveys in Northern Ireland

Rathlin Island EHS 2005 Survey Southwest coast

Upper Infralittoral

Lower Infralittoral

Circalittoral

Stress: 0.11


Rathlin Island EHS 2005 Survey Southwest coast

Upper Infralittoral

Lower Infralittoral

Circalittoral

Stress: 0.11

Favourable Conservation Status

Unfavourable Conservation Status


Northern Ireland sea grass beds

Spatial interpretation of data.Spatial interpretation of data.

• context context

• perspective perspective


•MNR•ASSI•SPA•SAC

Northern Ireland sea grass beds


Summary information is an effective communication tool for educating the general public



UniversitiesUniversities

Research OrganisationsResearch Organisations

ConsultantsConsultants

NGOsNGOs

Data Information

Government AgenciesGovernment Agencies

Environmental ManagersEnvironmental Managers

Decision-makersDecision-makers

PublicPublic

Users of Data and Information

Detail Perspective

IssuesIssues

Issues relating to data and information:

• Ownership

• Quality Assurance

• Auditable

Some survey data were not available

• inappropriate format

• data owner was unable or unwilling to release it.

Data and informationData and information


Recommendations:

• a national marine information network should be established to which marine data should be contributed using agreed data standards;

• all marine data collected with public funds, and environmental data collected by the private sector for the purpose of complying with a regulatory procedure, should be placed in the public domain within specified timescales;


Recommendations:

• improved co-ordination of data collection and research activities needs to be achieved, and there should be a greater degree of collaboration between survey organisations;

• information on the sources, availability, extent and attributes of datasets (metadata) for the marine environment needs to be easily and widely accessible.

IssuesIssues

Issues relating to data and information:

• Ownership• Public funded data• National marine information system• Summary information

• Quality Assurance• Metadata (when, where, why, how, who, standards)

• Auditable• Common Standards Monitoring

Summary information is important to conservation agencies

• Decision-making

• Managing

• Reporting

• Education

ConclusionConclusion

Environmental atlases such as MIDA can play an important role

in assisting government and conservation agencies through the

production and presentation of summary information

End users of MIDA – a government perspective Trevor Harrison Environment and Heritage Service...

Documents

Transcript of End users of MIDA – a government perspective Trevor Harrison Environment and Heritage Service...