Linked Environmental Data – The next Step for Environmental Information Systems

Abstract

The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) in Germany as one Competent Authority of the European Member States involved with the assessment and authorisation of chemicals, pesticides, biozides and medicals, has a wide expertise of complex information systems. Having timely, comprehensive and reliable information on the environmental relevant properties (e.g. of chemical substances and preparations) is of immense importance for all sections dealing with environmental protection issues. Regarding the reality of available information systems in each environmental section, and moreover in each section itself, there has been developed several specific approachs to gather, store and search its relevant data. This makes sense due to each section has its own requirements, different user groups (industry and authorities or just authorities or scientific partners etc.), different budgets to bring technology on the road , and different (legally obligatory) procedures to handle the data and information of such systems. Nevertheless, there several strong reasons to look for a Linked Environmental Data infrastructure at least internally in one authority itself: Overcome the mostly separated systems Explore the potential of data silos in several environmental sections Efficiency/effectiveness in data gathering, assessment, results, budgets sharing of knowledge, i.e. use of specific prepared information of specially intended information systems timelyness of data/information best data/information from most competent partner/section gain from already available systems and their data/information speed up developments and availability of data/information Of course there are also several points which might be a huge obstacle to Linked Environmental Data (LED), e.g. confidential business data. This leads already to the distinction between Open LED and Non-Open LED . Nevertheless, the potential benefits and the possibilities offered via the modern information technology should allow some thoughts about a better re-use of already painfully gathered data/ information or developed systems. In the field of chemical information systems the Federal Environment Agency has developed a comprehensive environment information system in the last three years which already offers potentials to make use of Linked Environmental Data. Regarding the aspect that information is dealing with all environmental issues it makes sense to think about technical possibilities and challenges of Linked Environmetal Data and push it forward in a suitable manner.