REMSSBOT, integration of environmental data management through integrated environmental information access sources

Abstract

The physical and administrative areas related to environmental topics may vary from a part of a region up to several countries, especially in oceanographic issues. Managing these areas, especially accessing the information available about these areas, can result in difficulties. This can cost a significant amount of time or it is unknown what information is available in at the neighbouring administration. Challenging these problems, Remssbot, (Regional Environmental Management Support System Based on Telematics) will benefit from access to different information sources. The innovative aspect of the Remssbot system is that the administrations and environmental managers have access to each others data on an independent base while maintaining control over their own data. This concept results in several connected databases which are physically separated but appear as one. The central element is a catalogue conform the guidelines of the Catalogue of Data Sources (CDS) developed by the European Environmental Agency. The system consists of different applications in order to use the information, these are called the demonstrator. The demonstrator is implemented at the participating administrations. Remssbot is supported by the European Commission within the framework of the Telematics Application Programme (DG X111). Public administrations of the regions Piemonte (Italy), Attica (Greece) and Scheldt (Netherlands (It Belgium) participate in this project. This paper briefly describes the general project and goes into detail on the demonstrator for the river Scheldt.