A Web-based Information Service for the Follow-up of Swedish Environmental Objectives

Abstract

On commission from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the county boards, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) has developed a demo version of an Internet-based system for the follow-up of the Swedish environmental quality objectives. The system enables the user to access to information pages for each environmental quality indicator with a map showing the spatial variation within Sweden and a diagram describing the development over time. Apart from that, you can find a brief text commenting the major facts, including the development relative to the environmental quality objectives. It is also possible to see the underlying data, to download tables or diagrams, to read about methods and, to some extent, to get further comments and explanations on causes and effects. By pointing to the map, the user may also, in so far as data are available, get the same presentation at county level. The system architecture is made up of a java-based web application with a database server and a map server. The web pages are produced dynamically, and hence give actual, updated information. XML is used for the information flow through the system. The system uses data from a number of distributed data providers, many outside SLU.