Indicators of the state of the environment in the Nordic countries

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Brunvoll, Frode

Affiliations: Statistics Norway, Kongens gate 6, P.O. Box 8131 Dep, N-0033 Oslo, Norway

Abstract: Since the early 1990s the Nordic Indicator Group, appointed and supported by The Nordic Working Group on Monitoring and Data, has been involved in the development of environmental indicators. This article presents the background for and the experiences from the production of the report Indicators of the State of the Environment in the Nordic Countries. The structural elements of the report are presented with examples, and suggestions for further work and improvements are discussed. The following main points are emphasized in the article: – The importance of comparability. – The need for further improvement of the indicator set, and especially concerning the issues Toxic contamination, Biodiversity and Cultural landscapes. – Generally, state and response indicators are in special need of improvement. – The usefulness of “indicator-symbols” and evaluations. – The importance of allocating sufficient resources to the project. – The importance of an expedient institutional set-up.

DOI: 10.3233/SJU-1998-15205

Journal: Statistical Journal of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 159-168, 1998