Citizenship and Environmental Observatories

Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) developed to the extent as to provide means for cooperative information generation, exchange, collaboration, complementation, networking and the rapid grow of the so called Web 2.0 applications and principles in the environmental context, there is a need to evaluate the outreach of the so called Web 2.0 applications and principles from the user perspective in the environmental context. This evaluation intends not only to improve their ongoing development and applications but also to learn from its external and internal development problems as well from its successes for future developments. These new communication and information instruments can be related to the Principle 10 of the Rio 1992 Declaration addressing the need of appropriate access to information held by public authorities concerning the environment. It addresses also the effort that States shall take to facilitate and encourage public awareness and participation by making information widely available (UN 1992a). This main principle recognises a transport and dissemination role of electronic media, that is also implicit in Chapter 40 in Agenda 21 “Information for Decision Making”, where it is postulated that communication and participation should be facilitated to meet broader objectives, and includes the efforts necessary to enable the participation of those not served at present by existing infrastructure and methods, referring to the so called Developing Countries. (UN 1992b, 350) How is the situation in these countries now? In the 80s there was a concept of UNDP to implement a Sustainable Development Networking Programme linking users and suppliers of information, mainly to provide access to adequate information sources for policy and decision makers. With the new Action Program in Agenda 21, this purpose became broader and NGOs as well as other civil society sectors were till then main actors.(UNDP, 1) The concept of Environmental Observatory refers to a virtual space which enables citizens know about the environmental situation and the environmental quality in the corresponding region. It also presents information on the plans and results of management activities made by the Environmental Agencies in order to resolve problems about the sustainable use of natural resources (OAB 2009). With the help of the new collaborative tools, researchers in a virtual observatory can develop better, more effective, and efficient solutions to deal with environmental issues. (Environmental Virtual Observatory, EVO 2012) Many Environmental Agencies provide access to information systems with similar characteristics as Observatories, however it is important to show the differences.