1.3 Aims of the Thesis

The first problem this thesis addresses is SoE reporting on the Internet, which is understood as a great resource which offers a creative opportunity for building and structuring the information on the environment. In order to offer a possible solution for the harmonization of SoE reporting on the Internet in CEE, a sample Web-based report on the SoE in CEE has been designed in accordance with the recommendation given by the GRID Arendal (UNEP/GRID Arendal 1998). Although the Norwegian Web site was made and used as the prototype for SoE reports, it concentrates mainly on the report itself. The suggestion presented here goes further, making an electronic report even more simple, and widening its purpose to become a potential resource for environmental education and awareness raising, accessible to a wide audience. It provides access to educational resources, basic SoE information in CEE, and other sources of environmental information in the world. It is also meant to serve as a tool for further research of public awareness and needs for environmental information in the Region.

The second issue the thesis deals with is the problem of finding the appropriate environmental indicators to be included in SoE reports. As already mentioned, many organizations have been involved in solving this problem. It is a continuous and complicated process, which involves team work and a multidisciplinary approach. Therefore, this thesis does not aim to propose environmental indicators, but rather gives an overview and summarizes the most frequently used frameworks and indicators in both international and national levels. It particularly addresses the coverage of these indicators in electronic SoE reports of CEE countries, and introduces the most effective ways of presenting them graphically on the Internet.

1.4 Structure

The second chapter of the thesis offers a short presentation of a typical structure of an SoE report, a brief history of the SoE reporting process, as well as a description of the current situation in indicator and framework development. The third chapter compares and discusses the existing electronic SoE reports for 13 CEE countries, addresses problems in their design, and gives a possible solution in the form of an experimental Web site. Finally, the fourth chapter focuses on 7 selected environmental issues and corresponding indicators. It gives an overview of the most commonly used indicators in CEE as well as in Dobris+3, GEO-2, and OECD core set of indicators, and shows some positive examples of their graphical presentation in SoE reports. Detailed tables of all measured and proposed indicators under 7 environmental issues in CEE countries, as well as in the Dobris+3 and GEO-2 reports are placed in the Appendix.