Environmental Information System (ENVIS)

1. Environmental Information System (ENVIS)

In December 1982, the Government of India established the Environmental Information System (ENVIS) as a planned program, recognising the crucial role of environmental information in policymaking and decision-making processes. ENVIS provides comprehensive ecological information to decision-makers, policy planners, scientists, engineers, and researchers across India. Given the multidisciplinary nature of ecological topics, ENVIS collaborates with various institutions and organisations actively engaged in environmental work.

2. Key Features

• Network of ENVIS Centres: ENVIS operates through a network of nodes known as ENVIS Centres, covering diverse environmental subject areas. The Ministry of Environment & Forests serves as the Focal Point for ENVIS, overseeing and coordinating the activities of these centres.
• Global Recognition: ENVIS is recognised as the National Focal Point (NFP) for INFOTERRA, a global environmental information network under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Additionally, ENVIS is designated as the Regional Service Centre (RSC) of INFOTERRA for the South Asia Sub-Region countries.
• World Bank-Assisted Project: Since January 2002, ENVIS has implemented the World Bank-assisted Environment Management Capacity Building Technical Assistance Project (EMCBTAP). This project aims to expand the reach of ENVIS by involving institutions and organisations in state governments, academia, the corporate sector, and NGOs. It also seeks to incorporate modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for information dissemination.
• Continuation of SDNP-India: The EMCBTAP project continues the Sustainable Development Networking Programme: India (SDNP-India), funded jointly by the UNDP and IDRC, Canada.

3. Role and Significance:

Environmental information is crucial for formulating policies and decisions about environmental protection and improvement. ENVIS is a distributed information network with subject-specific centres to collect, collate, store, retrieve, and disseminate relevant and timely information. The network has expanded to include thematic subject areas and state government/UT departments, making it a comprehensive environmental information network.

4. Current Network Status:

69 network partners, including 40 subject-specific centres and 29 state/UT-related centres. ENVIS Centres are in prominent organisations, institutions, state/UT government departments, and universities nationwide.

5. Long-Term Objectives

• Build a repository and dissemination centre in Environmental Science and Engineering.
• Utilise state-of-the-art technologies for information acquisition, processing, storage, retrieval, and dissemination.
• Support research, development, and innovation in environmental information technology.

6. Short-Term Objectives

• Provide a national environmental information service relevant to present and future user needs.
• Develop storage, retrieval, and dissemination capabilities for rapid information dissemination.
• Foster national and international cooperation for the exchange of environment-related information.
• Support education and personnel training programs for enhanced environmental information processing.
• Promote information exchange among developing countries.

7. Responsibilities of Focal Point & ENVIS Centres

Focal Point:

• Overall coordination of the ENVIS network.
• Identification of ENVIS Centres in specialised areas.
• Framing guidelines and procedures for ENVIS Centres.
• Collection, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of information in specific areas.
• Establishment of a Data Bank and computerisation in key application areas.
• Publication of the quarterly abstracting journal Paryavaran Abstracts.
• Organising training and seminars.
• Monitoring and reviewing ENVIS.

ENVIS Centres:

• Building up a collection of books, reports, and journals in specific subject areas.
• Establishment of linkages with information sources in the subject area.
• Responding to user queries.
• Coordination with the Focal Point.
• Data bank establishment on selected parameters.
• Bringing out newsletters/publications for broader dissemination.

ENVIS continues to evolve as a web-enabled, comprehensive information system, playing a crucial role in environmental information management and capacity building in India.