FROM DATA TO INFORMATION

Katre LiivKatrin Väljataga

EEA SEIS country visitNovember 8, 2007

MAIN OUTPUTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGISTER

• Environmental reports

• National, EU and international environmental data reporting

• Environmental Register web application

• Environmental Indicators web application

• Environmental Monitoring webpage

• Environmental information main webpage www.keskkonnainfo.ee

Publications

• SoE report, every 4th year

• Topic reviews based on annual reporting, every year

• Environmental monitoring reports, every 5th year

Reporting

• National and international reporting obligations

• Direct data request (governmental institutions, NGOs….)

How to satisfy the growing

need for data and information?

Producing environmental information, a scheme

Level Database Information system

Public web application

Tasks Collecting data Data exchange Public services

Goals Collect, unify, preserve

Analyse, evaluate – produce information

Make the information accessible

Accessibility Limited Limited Free access

Problems to be solved

• Data management

• Technological solutions

• Accessibility limitations

• Keeping services up-to-date

Solutions

• Unified procedures and forms

• International and national co-operation

• Web-based solutions

• Bringing in the “multi-dimensional approach”

Environmental register and GMES

• ER contains in-situ monitoring data and relevant metadata – Environmental monitoring data– National, local and facility/enterprise level– Requirements fixed in legislative acts

• Spatial information

• Unified data management procedures

• Data available on-line, free access

Developing modern web applications

• Dynamic• Up-to-date and reliable• Easy to manage• User friendly• Specific functionalities for different target

groups One source, many outputs

Need for user-specific outputs - user survey of our publications

• NGO, students & teachers, county environmental departments

• Substance– How did you know about the publication?– Purpose of use?– Does it meet your need?– Easy to understand the text?

• Appearance– Prefer web or paper?– Easy to use (electronic versions)?– Paper, format, font, colors etc?– Easy to read illustrations?

Results of survey• NGOs:

– mainly satisfied– suggestions for extra topics (e.g.health and environment)– suggestions for more useful illustrations– need for integrated analysis– need for longer trends– need for comparison between years

• Students:– most satisfied user group– use in final theses– looking for more analysis– looking for projected trends

• County environmental departments (reviews on annual reporting)– useful for presentations– too “easy” for specialists– rather meant for public or students– more in-depth analysis is needed

Introduction to web applications

Environmental monitoring web page:– Management system– Web page– Data output– Maps

Environmental indicators web page

www.keskkonnainfo.ee

• Information on the state of environment based on indicator themes by DPSIR

• Relevant public data and additional information from other information systems

• Maps

• Links to information systems for data providers

• Links to other information sources

Data requestsTheme 2005 2006 2007 (until Nov

7)

Nature protection

20328 20242 12642

Water 177 185 149

Waste 144 110 139

Air 46 69 25

Others (climate

ja ozone, spatial data, organizational)

30 82 68

TOTAL 20725 20688 13023

Estonian Environment Information CentreMustamäe tee 3310616 TallinnESTONIA

Phone +372 673 7577Fax +372 673 7599

www.keskkonnainfo.eeinfo@ic.envir.ee