UNEP / Division of Early Warning and Assessment (DEWA)

1. UNEP / Division of Early Warning and Assessment (DEWA) EEA TACIS PROJECT “DEVELOP-MENT OF C.S.I. ENV’L INDICATORS METHODOLOGICAL GUIDE AND COMPENDIUM” FOR EECCA. Presentation for the 8th Session of the UNECE/CEP “Working Group on Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (WGEMA)” held at the U.N. Palais des Nations, Geneva, 12-13 June 2007

2. Towards the EEA’s Belgrade Report The “Core Set of Indicators Compendium for EECCA Countries” as a companion product to… …the Belgrade Report of the EEA.

3. EEA TACIS Project Background Main Purpose: Improve capacities in the EECCA countries to develop, apply and maintain an agreed “core set of env’l indicators” (CSI), using a guidelinesmanual prepared by UNECE, to support pan-European reporting on env’l state and trends. Main Output: An “Indicators Compendium” covering part of the CSI, to accompany the next (4th) pan-European ~ Belgrade Assessment report.

4. EEA TACIS Project Players/Roles • Overall Project Coordination: EEA • Project Management: UNEP/DEWA • Project Consultants: L. Gornaja (EEA / independent); G. Giuliani and S. Kluser (UNEP/GRID-Europe); and E. Veligosh (UNEP/GRID-Arendal). • Project collaborators: • Above plus EEA and UNECE staff; EECCA country expert participants (WGEMA et al.); workshop organisers from partner centres in Dushanbe, Kyiv and Tbilisi, and others…

5. EECCA Indicators Compendium Activities up until publication in 2007: • Preliminary indicators and their analyses (trends etc.) prepared and translated (Jan.-March). • Consultation on-line on preliminary indicators with EECCA country experts; “gap-filling” (late March through mid-May; extended). • Revised version Indicators prepared (late May). • Present to UNECE WGEMA 8th Session 12 June • Final indicators and translation (late June). • Layout and printing of CSI Compendium for EECCA Countries (throughout July). • Launch with Belgrade Report (10 October)

6. EECCA Indicators Contents/Structure • What is the key Policy question addressed? • What key Message(s) are derived/explained? • Overall Assessment for each of ~15 indicators. • The Policy context / link for all 15 indicators. • Methodology / References for each indicator. • Link to Definition and Rationale in UNECE’s Indicator Guidelines document. • Each indicator in four pages text & graphics (English/Russian, so eight pgs. overall). • All 12 EECCA countries covered, within the limits of data availability…

7. EECCA Indicators Development • A reminder that the 15 indicators selected as a subset of the CSI (36 altogether) were chosen for reasons of practicality (data available from international sources). • More details on the methodology (i.e., how the 15 indicators were developed & modified). (Elena Veligosh) • More details about the on-line consultation and results based on participants’ inputs. (Stephane Kluser)

8. UNEP’s GEO-4 Assessment Report Originally slated for release and joint launch with the Belgrade Report at the Ministerial Conference, this is now delayed until late October 2007…

9. Annual “GEO Yearbooks” First two volumes covered 2003 and 2004/05 Third volume dated 2007 covers the year 2006

10. Other recent UNEP Assessments Just released on 5 June for World Environment Day Thematic along with global and regional GEO reports

11. Merci Spasebo Thank you

12. EECCA Indicators Compendium Lessons Learned and Remaining Challenges: • Data are not always available, or adequate, to support the indicators and their analyses. • Standardised “international” data sources are sometimes contested - or even contradicted by - national sources (how to resolve?). • Gap-filling on a “voluntary” basis is not most efficient or effective method, particularly w/o strong participation at the country level. • Further corrections and harmonisation needed. • To serve as a useful stand-alone product, even while being closely linked to the Guidelines document and the Belgrade Report itself…