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The Aarhus Convention requires an adequate form of public participation.

Internet Technology as a Tool to Improve Public Participation in the Scope of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in Poland Dr. Markus Weidenbach landConsult.de / GTZ. Internet Technology as a Tool to Improve Public Participation 1. Possible approaches to use IT (1).

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The Aarhus Convention requires an adequate form of public participation.

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  1. Internet Technology as a Tool to Improve Public Participation in the Scope of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in PolandDr. Markus WeidenbachlandConsult.de / GTZ

  2. Internet Technology as a Tool to Improve Public Participation 1. Possible approaches to use IT (1) • The Aarhus Convention requires an adequate form of public participation. • Studies in Germany have shown that personal concern can be achieved best on a local level • A profound information policy increases the public acceptance of planned measures

  3. Internet Technology as a Tool to Improve Public Participation 1. Possible approaches to use IT (2) • Proposal of a 3 tier approach: • The provision of general Information about the conditions of the water bodies on all levels (national, regional, local) • The participation of citizens on regional and local level, to provide the possibility to handle the issue on-site. This may end in a practical participation in specific local projects (Information Trail, local river projects, etc.) [demo] • The communication between citizens, planers and decision makers on all levels is another most essential aspect of public participation

  4. Internet Technology as a Tool to Improve Public Participation 2. Technical Options (1) • General Information can be published by using a standard web site design with static html programming. Where possible dynamic links to a database can be established to generate actual information on the fly, like standardized queries on a central XML database. • A more intensive way to participate citizens and stakeholders in the planning process requires a database driven web design to generate dynamic contents. So, the web page is becoming a tool for decision making: • search and query specific information (database queries, overlay of information layers, etc.) • exchange of digital information • communication with all stakeholders (discussion forum, chat room, newsletter, calendar)

  5. Internet Technology as a Tool to Improve Public Participation 2. Technical Options (2) • Content Management System ZOPE (http://www.zope.org) • presently under development at the aquadoc server of IMGW Krakow • wide spread throughout public administrations, e.g. EEA in Copenhagen • open source and freeware (GNU License), available for all systems • stand alone web server and compatible to Apache and UMN Map Server • control via web browser (WebDav), world wide user and developer community • UMN Map Server (http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu) • wide spread throughout public administrations, e.g. EC DG Research • open source and freeware (GNU License), available for all systems • compatible to Apache, IIS and ZOPE Server

  6. Internet Technology as a Tool to Improve Public Participation 2. Technical Options (3) • Databases • Tamino XML Database with Content Management functionality, presently under development at the MoE for the implementation of the EIA directive (try http://www.mos.gov.pl/infoos/oos) • Many other commercial database solutions (Oracle, Informix, MSAccess, etc.) • Powerful Open Source and free (GNU License) databases like MySQL or postgre etc.

  7. Internet Technology as a Tool to Improve Public Participation 3. Applications • Rafting Trail Black Forest (http://landconsult.de/floesser) • Local participation of citizens and visitors • Interactive Maps to add geo-referenced content • Database driven (MSAccess, ASP and PHP) • Draft of WFD web page at http://zswlinux.powodz.info (planned) and http://www.rdw.pl • HTML, PHP, JavaScript • General Information, Forum, Newsletter, Chat • Database connection envisaged

  8. Internet Technology as a Tool to Improve Public Participation 4. Conclusions and Recommendations • General • Is the Internet accessible for a representative group of Polish citizens? • Is the Internet a well accepted medium to transport official information?  A computer never replaces the personal meeting and discussion  The Internet must be used only in addition to conventional methods • Scale and organisation of public participation  Generate personal concern about environmental issues on local level • Technical • Adaptation of web site management to organisation level, i.e. local participation requires local web site management • Database driven solutions • Usage of well known free open source software systems • Development of national templates (like ZOPE extensions) • Training of interested IT personal

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