AGEDI Background Information

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AGEDI Background

The lack of both quality and quantity of environmental data has proven a major hindrance to the global process of achieving sustainable development during the past decade, particularly in developing countries. The result is that socio-economic and environmental sectors throughout the world, but particularly those of developing countries, are losing valuable assets as a result of inaccurate decision making caused by the lack of useable quality data .

In this spirit, the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative (AGEDI) was launched on 2 September 2002, at theWorld Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg , 24 August-4 September 2002, by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a Type II Initiative.

Initially contributing to the development and launch of AGEDI was UAE’s concern about the approach and criteria used for the results of the Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI), produced by the World Economic Forum in February 2002. The UAE in this Index was ranked 141 out of 142 countries, with an ESI of 25.7.

A steering panel was therefore formed and was entrusted with the responsibility of preparing the AGEDI proposal which was made public on May 2, 2002. This panel also consulted with delegates at the WSSD preparatory meeting in Bali . International dialogue took place which promoted the Initiative in the United States , United Nations as well as with international media organizations.

The Initiative supports the mandates of Chapters 8 and 40 of Agenda 21, the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG), and the WSSD Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (POI). Further references to environmental data within Agenda 21 include chapter 4, chapter 6, chapter 7 and chapter 9.

Objectives

Socio-economic sectors and environmental regions throughout the world are losing valuable assets as a result of inaccurate decision making caused by the lack of accessible quality environmental data. Therefore, the primary objectives of AGEDI are to:

1. Achieve enhanced environmental data collection and assessment.

2. Increase data capacities for local, national, regional, and global environmental decision making.

3. Ensure sustainable development planning is based on quality, timely, useable, and updated data and information.

4. Provide accessibility of data and information to all stakeholders.

5. Enhance national and international mechanisms of information processing and exchange.

6. Enhance national capacities in information handling and communications.

Vision

The vision of AGEDI is to develop and implement a replicable, networked, adaptive, and working model for the development and use of high quality spatial environmental data, first in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, then broadened out, which will ultimately support sustainable decision and policy making.