Annual Report 1999

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Environmental Information Communications Capacity Building

Global International Waters Assessment (GIWA) GRID-Arendal has developed a draft strategy for the data management, information and communications component of GIWA. A first contract comprising the development of meta-data catalogue of already completed or ongoing as- sessment in all regions has been signed, and GRID-Arendal will participate in the GIWA Task Team which will develop the GIWA assessment methodology. The aim of the UNEP- led, GEF-funded Assessment is to produce a comprehensive and integrated global assessment of international waters. UNEP Bookshop released on the Internet During the GRID-Arendal 10 year anniversary, Jesper Si- monsen, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Environment of Norway, and Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of UNEP, launched a new on-line book shop for UNEP, which allows customers to order copies of all UNEP publications directly over the Internet.

SoE Pretoria |6

Cities Environment Report on the Internet (CEROI) launches reports in South Africa and a new web site A new CEROI web server was added and a web site laun- ched where participating cities can upload and view their completed SoE reports |7 . The following CEROI cities laun- ched their reports in South Africa: Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, and Johannesburg. CEROI is a programme within the framework of Local Agenda 21 to facilitate access to environmental information for sound decision-making and general awareness-raising in cities.

Launching of EarthPrint |5

Hazardous Waste Graphic |4

UNEPnet Services During 1999 UIC assisted UNEPnet nodes and UNEP re- gional and outposted offices in developing integrated envi- ronmental information services. This resulted in a standard set of services developed and implemented at UNEPnet sites, for example: unified, harmonised and operational UNEPnet node homepages, technical support, workshops, training and consultancies.

1| www.centre.unep.net

UNEPnet |1

Cities Environment Reports on the Internet (CEROI) Programme ready for implementation Finalising a three-year pilot phase, GRID-Arendal now offers cities worldwide a concept for easily disseminating urban environmental information. Cities participating in the CEROI programme receive tools for publishing State of the Environment reports on the Internet.

The Establishment of an Indicator-based Electronic State of the Environment Report for China - Phase II During 1999 GRID-Arendal continued co-operation with the Chinese National Environmental Protection Agency, with financial support from NORAD. During Phase II of the project GRID-Arendal support includes training and design of a system for the efficient production and update of SoE- China |2 . Workshops are an important part of this process.

1| www.grida.no/eis-ssa 2| www.svr1-pek.unep.net/soechina/soechina98 3| www.publikit.net

Publikit |3