Profile of the
Centre
Realizing the importance of Environmental
Information, the Government of India, in December, 1982,
established Environmental Information System (ENVIS)
as a plan scheme. The ENVIS Centre 07 at World Wide
Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India) was established on
October 27, 1984 under the Environmental Information
System (ENVIS) Programme of the Ministry of Environment
& Forests, Government of India. The Centre was assigned
the responsibility for being the focal point for information
on: |
| |
|
|
|
| The data and information
developed by the Centre is available at www.wwfenvis.org
/ www.wwfenvis.nic.in
and is being constantly updated.
Over the past few years, the Centre
has been recognized by users (NGO, administrators, specialized
agencies, researchers, school and college students,
media professionals, and others) both within the country
and overseas as a reliable and responsive source of
environment-related information.
The ENVIS Centre regularly responds
to several queries and requests for information on various
subjects and topics concerning environment in India.
In addition to the numerous queries through telephone
and email, the Centre also handles personal visits by
users. To fulfill its mandate of being a reliable and
critical repository of information, the Centre has undertaken
several important initiatives in the past such as publishing
updated and compiled information such as directories
on Environmental NGOs in India, Audiovisuals on the
Environment, expertise in the Environmental Sciences,
Campaign Support Services available with NGOs, environment
in the Indian Parliament etc. Following the establishment
of the Indira Gandhi Conservation Monitoring Centre
at WWF-India, much of the ENVIS Centre’s database
is now stored in computerized databases to facilitate
easy access to data and speedier retrieval and updating
of information.
A website was developed by the Centre
(www.wwfenvis.org
/ www.wwfenvis.nic.in)
following the establishment of an ENVIS Node as a part
of the Sustainable Development Networking Programme
(SDNP) of MoEF, GOI in October, 2000 to December, 2001.
To continue the activity of the Node after the end phase
of SDNP, it was placed under the World Bank-assisted
Environmental Management Capacity Building Technical
Assistance Project (EMCBTAP) of MoEF, GOI from February,
2002 to 30th June, 2004. From 1st July, 2004, the activities
initiated under the Node have been continued as a part
of ENVIS Centre’s assigned activities.
The ENVIS Centre focuses on
the following work areas:
NGOs and the Environment
Information on NGO profiles published
in the Directory of Environmental NGOs in India has
been prepared in a computerized database.
The Centre’s work on NGOs involves
the following: |
|
|
|
Information support in response
to requests on |
|
|
|
- Contact with other NGOs
- Database on Environmental NGOs
- Subject expertise
- Technical Data and Education & Awareness
- Project promotion
- Training programmes
- Events, Seminars & Workshops
|
|
|
|
In addition to the NGO networking
activity by the Centre through the ‘query-answer
service,’ it is also closely involved with NGO
support programmes initiated by WWF-India. All the programmes
in WWF-India support NGOs in active field work on conservation |
|
|
|
Collection and verification of
data on new NGOs using WWF-India branch units and other
established NGOs in different regions |
|
|
|
Providing information support
to the Centre for Environmental Law, WWF-India and the
NGOs for legal intervention |
|
|
The Centre’s
‘Directory of Environmental NGOs’ continues
to be a very important document for a variety of user
groups. The Directory has also been utilized by several
international aid agencies since it is a useful compendium
of information on Indian NGOs working in specific areas
of environment.
For the last edition of the Directory,
nearly 5000 questionnaires were sent to obtain data
for the revision of the existing database of environmental
NGOs. The feedback from the field helped to a great
extent in compiling the database
for the Directory. With the publication of this Directory,
the ENVIS Centre 07 was in a position to disseminate
information to a large group of user communities many
of whom were NGOs spread out in remote corners of the
country. A flyer on this Directory was developed which
was circulated to several institutions, agencies and
government bodies in different parts of the country.
The electronic medium was also utilized to inform a
large group of people on this important publication.
Parliament and Environment
The ENVIS Centre regularly undertakes
the task of updating the queries and answers on the
environment that are put up during the Question Hour
in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The information
obtained from both the Houses during the Parliament
Sessions are compiled and collated into subject-wise
categories. The data compilation and analysis for the
calendar year 2005 and 2006 have been completed and
are available in a computerised database
for interested users.
The main activities of the Centre’s
focus area on Parliament are:
|
|
|
|
Collecting, collating and publishing
of environment-related questions and answers addressed
to the Ministry of Environment and Forests and other
Ministries in both Houses of Parliament |
|
|
|
Preparation of computerized database
including index relating to the questions and answers
on environment transacted in both the Houses of the
Parliament to facilitate easy response to queries |
|
|
|
Tracking discussions in the meetings
of Parliamentary Committee on Environment |
|
|
|
Analysis of environment- related
questions/answers & debates on Environment |
|
|
Media
and the Environment
The Centre’s primary activity
in this focus area pertains to the monitoring and classification
of environment-related news and feature items in the
print media. This information, which is available for
reference in the WWF-India Library, is extensively used
by media professionals and researchers for accessing
background information on important current and emerging
environmental issues.
The Centre receives considerable support
in this activity from the WWF-India Communications Division.
The information provided includes suggestions on topics
or themes, expertise on specific issues available in
India and overseas, government departments and agencies
responsible for policy and decision making, individuals
and NGOs whose work includes the specific subject area
of interest, access to relevant visual material, etc.
The areas of activities broadly carried out include:
|
|
|
|
Collection, compilation and classification
of environment-related news and feature items in the
Print Media |
|
|
|
Preparation of user-based information
as available in the print media for different target
groups |
|
|
|
Dissemination of selective material
relating to environmental issues in India |
|
|
|
Weekly dissemination of relevant
news items to each ENVIS centre, NGOs and other institutions
through the website |
|
|
|
Providing critical support to
media professionals and researchers by providing information
on current and emerging environmental issues |
|
|
|
|
Objective
of the ENVIS Centre-07 |
|
|
|
Establish a web-based information
database on issues related to sustainable development
with a specific focus on Environmental NGOs & Parliament
on Environment |
|
|
|
Act as a nodal agency for government
departments, Planning Commission, Environmental NGOs,
and other user groups for compiling and disseminating
environment-related information by using databases and
Geographic Information System |
|
|
|
Develop a quarterly electronic
newsletter highlighting news, features, events, and
case studies for dissemination |
|
|
|
Preparation of database, monthly
compilation of news items on NGOs and Parliament matter,
and uploading the relevant information on the internet |
|
|
|
Identification of data gaps in
the specified subject areas and action taken to fill
these gaps |
|
|
|
Preparation and distribution of
the ENVIS newsletter on a quarterly basis |
|
|
|
To establish and operate a user-friendly
system to answer and channelize queries related to the
allocated focus areas |
|
|
|
To establish linkages with information
users, carriers and providers from among government,
academia, business and Non-governmental Organizations
including that with ENVIS Centres/Nodes |
|
|
|
Maintain an information base that
includes descriptive information in the form of publications,
reports, reprints and abstracts on NGOs and Parliament
matter, which are stored for dissemination; collect,
compile, process and analyze numerical data for the
purpose of dissemination |
|
|
Purpose
of the ENVIS Centre-07 |
|
|
|
Information base on Environment |
|
|
|
Information support to policy
makers, planners and other users |
|
|
|
Usage of modern information technology
for dissemination of data |
|
|
|
Build data management capacity |
|
|
|
Dissemination of data and information
through books, maps and electronic media |
|
|
|
Web-based information database
on issues related to sustainable development with a
specific focus on NGOs and Parliament |
|
|
|
Network established with other
institutions, NGOs for further enhancement of ENVIS
activities |
|
|
|
A decentralised system using the
distributed network of databases integrating national
efforts in environmental information collection &
dissemination to policy planners, researchers, &
other users |
|
|
