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ADB_book_18 April.qxp - Himalayan Document Centre - icimod

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(vi) Many environmental issues such as loss ofbiodiversity, glacier melting, soil erosion, airpollution, and flooding transcend nationalboundaries. It is also necessary to strengthen asense of collective ownership and responsibilityfor the environmental challenges facedat the regional/global level. There is a need topursue effective measures of regionalcooperation and to establish a regionalnetwork for effective sharing and exchange ofenvironmental information.Unless there is a strong political will and goodgovernance, these challenges are unlikely to be met.For this, policymakers, user communities, and dataproducers need to be more aware of the benefits.Tackling problems related to environmental data andinformation requires establishing an environmentand natural resources information network tofacilitate the exchange of information and strengthenappropriate policymaking capacities. A unifiedrepository would collect all relevant databases withthe participation of government, nongovernment andacademic institutions, the private sector, and otherstakeholders. Such a network, which would integratedata and information from decentralized providersand make them available to a multitude of users, isan important concept, and doubtless a useful one,but needs to be strictly managed to make it viable.There are several needs related to this.(i) Initially, existing structures need to be assessedand the capacity of the different sectoralagencies reinforced to allow them to generateand analyze multisectoral environmental andnatural resources data and information moreeasily.(ii) Sectoral agencies need to be coordinated sothat the data and information collected aresystematic and conform to a consistentinformation structure that ensures quality andreliability.(iii)Socioeconomic and other sectoral data andinformation can then be harvested to derivepolicy-relevant, aggregated indicators for majorenvironmental issues at the local and nationallevels.(iv) An integrated environmental decision-supportsystem focusing on priority environmentalissues can then be developed to bring togetherexisting knowledge and help facilitateassessments, trends, and projections in thearea of environmental protection.(v) To maximize its usefulness, Nepal’s centralrepository of information would then need tobe networked and linked with differentregional and international agencies and withother well-developed and managedinformation bases dealing with similar types ofinformation.BibliographyAsian Development Bank (<strong>ADB</strong>). 2004. TechnicalAssistance Completion Report on Strengthening theNational Statistical System. Kathmandu.Bajracharya B. 2000. “Development of Geo-InformationInfrastructure: Issues in the Hindu Kush- Himalayas.”Issues in Mountain Development 2/2000.Kathmandu: International <strong>Centre</strong> for IntegreatedMountain Development.Bajracharya, B. 2005. “Hazard Mapping of SagarmathaNational Park.” Draft Report. International <strong>Centre</strong> forIntegrated Mountain Development, MountainEnvironment and Natural Resources InformationSystem (MENRIS), Kathmandu.Maclaren, V., M. Campbell, and W. Dickinson. 1994.Municipal State of the Environment Reporting inCanada: Current Status and Future Needs. Ottawa:State of the Environment Reporting.Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). 2004. Hand<strong>book</strong> ofEnvironment Statistics 2003. Kathmandu.Environmental Portal of United Nations EnvironmentProgramme/GRID–Arendal.Available:http://www.grida.no/products.cfm?pageID=7Ester, J., I. Lawless, and D.W. Mooneyhan, eds. 1994.“International Symposium on Core Data Needs forEnvironment Assessment and SustainableDevelopment Strategies,” (Vol. I and II), UnitedNations Environment Programme (UNEP) andUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP),Bangkok, Thailand, November 15–<strong>18</strong>.Geo-Data Portal of United Nations EnvironmentProgramme, Global Environment Outlook. Available:http://geodata.grid.unep.ch/International <strong>Centre</strong> for Integrated Mountain Development(ICIMOD). 1996. Climatic and Hydrological Atlas ofNepal. Kathmandu: His Majesty’s Government ofNepal, Department of Hydrology and Meteorology,and International <strong>Centre</strong> for Integrated MountainDevelopment.Chapter 13: Environmental Information, Analysis, and Integration205

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