UNEP/GRID-Arendal

United Nations Environment Programme / Global Resource Information Database (UNEP -GRID ) is a worldwide network of search engines and environmental data catalogs. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP ) is thus globally collected environmental information policy makers and development organizations. On all continents evaluate GRID data centers on Biological Diversity and the land and resource use.

Locations: In addition to the headquarters of UNEP in Nairobi and the seat of the United Nations in Geneva, the network mainly from Arendal, Budapest, Christchurch, Sioux Falls and Warsaw will be organized from. At the respective nodes usually there is a close cooperation with the national environmental authorities and the environmental sciences. In Geneva, there is traditionally a close cooperation with the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment ( FOEN ) and the University.

History

GRID was founded in 1985, GRID - Arendal in 1989. GRID - Arendal is due to the initiative of the Brundtland Commission, the UNEP and the Government of Norway. United States (since 1991 ): Not only with the Environmental Protection Agency U.S. EPA there since 1998, a good cooperation, the development of space technology by satellite monitoring have both with NASA and with the Forest Service United States Forest Service ( USFS ) new possibilities for the GRID allows early warning of pollution and environmental damage with the Division of early Warning and Assessment ( DEWA ).

Objectives

The tasks of the GRID are:

  • To provide the data basis for decisions
  • Management and administration of an environmental information system
  • Capacity Building Services
  • Public relations, awareness and teaching methodological competencies

In addition to the traditional focus in the polar regions, the GRID has placed in recent years its focus even more on the sustainable development of oceans and coasts around the world. Especially with the network nodes in Africa, the Pacific and Latin America wins the conservation of biodiversity in the rainforests important.

It follows the GRID claims to the following values: integrity, professional work, respect for diversity and commitment to the environment.

Programs

UNEP / GRID - Arendal: A focus of work is the global polar research. Chairman ( Chair ) of the Board in 2012 Olav Orheim. It is appointed for three years by the Ministry of the Environment Norway (Ministry of Environment). Currently, about GRID - Arendal works with the three main programs:

  • Capacity Building and Assessment Programme
  • Marine Programme
  • Polar programs

Another task is the compilation of global maps ( maps) and graphics. For example, environmental information about the limits of the permafrost, the potential of hydropower in Europe are available. An overview of the University of the Arctic ( University of the Arctic ), over the polar regions also are also global, interactive maps and graphs in the catalog of UNEP / GRID - Arendal. Topics include water scarcity in Africa, the threat to biodiversity in mega diversity countries such as South Africa, or even bird migration routes and the routes of tropical timber smuggling, a country with Atlas Statistics for Sustainable Development ( Globalis ).

GRID centers worldwide

The Global Resource Information Database (GRID ) consists of a network of many centers around the world:

  • Arendal (Norway ) UNEP / GRID - Arendal
  • Bangkok ( Thailand) - UNEP Environment Assessment Programme for Asia and the Pacific ( EAPAP )
  • Budapest ( Hungary) - Department for Environment Information System
  • Christchurch ( New Zealand) - University of Canterbury
  • Geneva ( Switzerland ), UNEP / DEWA / GRID - Geneva
  • Kathmandu ( Nepal) - International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development ( ICIMOD )
  • Moscow ( Russia)
  • Nairobi (Kenya ) UNEP-DEWA/GRID-Nairobi
  • Ottawa (Canada) - Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
  • San Jose dos Campos ( Brazil) - Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espacias ( INPE )
  • Sioux Falls, South Dakota ( USA) - EROS Data Center United States Geological Survey (USGS )
  • Tbilisi ( Georgia)
  • Warsaw ( Poland) - Environmental Information Centre

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