The world needs sound statistics on environment
The world needs sound statistics on environment
JAKARTA (JP): The development of a sound environmental statistic system is urgently needed in line with increasing environmental awareness worldwide, says a senior official of the Central Bureau of Statistics.
Sugito, the bureau's Director General, told reporters yesterday that an information system on the environment could act as a guideline for policy makers in determining regional development priorities.
"We (the bureau) have already compiled a 400-page compendium which lists indicators for pollution, forestry and energy management and the impact of environmental changes under various conditions, etc.," he said after opening a five day seminar on environmental statistics.
The seminar, held by the bureau and the United Nations' Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is being attended by representatives from Australia, Bangladesh, Fiji, Nepal, Thailand, China, Indonesia, ESCAP and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.
The seminar will discuss various aspects of environmental statistics, which include concepts and definitions as well as methods of carrying out surveys and sampling and analysis and statistic techniques.
Handbook
Sugito said that by the end of the seminar participants are expected to produce a final handbook on the methodologies of environmental statistics.
Andrew J. Flatt, Director of ESCAP's Statistics Division based in Bangkok, said that he was "very impressed" with the compendium issued by Indonesia's bureau of statistics although he pointed out that there were areas which could be improved.
Indonesia, he said, is relatively more developed in environmental statistics compared to many developing countries.
"It is relatively new for Indonesia but I think it has got a start over some other countries," he said.
Sugito said the bureau has published its compendium since as early as 1982, but has received only a small amount of publicity.
In order to win the Adipura Purnakarya Nugraha Award given to the country's "best" cities, for example, local government offices must reveal statistical data on their environment, he said.
"This is one way we distribute -- and publicize -- our environmental data and the statistical methods that go with it," he said, adding that the application of such methods were carried out jointly with local governments, offices of the Environmental Impact Management Agency and offices of the National Development Planning Board.
Prerequisite
Sugito said Indonesia would try to share its experiences with other participating countries at the seminar.
"We have already published a handbook while some countries haven't finished theirs and others haven't even started...We will also discuss whether or not there is a chance of them adopting our system," he said.
Sugito said it was time to compile comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date environmental statistics as a prerequisite to develop an information network which integrates economic development and environmental issues.
"It is time to incorporate environmental issues in macroeconomic decision-making to achieve sustainable development," Sugito said.
He said an environmentally adjusted Gross Domestic Product should be considered as an ultimate goal.
"Without some form of environmentally-adjusted Gross Domestic Product, sustainable growth is only an illusion," Sugito added.(pwn)