Sustainable Monitoring Infrastructure and Continuous Innovation in implementing a Shared Environmental Information System

Side event to the Ninth Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference, Nicosia

05 October 2022 13:10 - 14:40

Nicosia Cyprus

Room: KERYNEIA of Filoxenia Centre
Language: English - Live

Target audience:
Environmental policymakers and experts dealing with monitoring, data and assessment

Objectives, scope and expected outcome
The side event will reflect on the achievements in establishing a Shared Environmental Information system in the pan-European region in support of environmental assessments and will showcase selected good practice examples on the development and modernisation of sustainable environmental monitoring infrastructure and information systems in selected areas. The event will raise the awareness and inform about advanced technical solutions (e.g. based on satellite and near to real time data, the enhanced use of digitalization and citizen science) and their use to improve access of decision makers and the public to policy-relevant information in different fields, e.g. regarding health-relevant air quality information, effective Covid-19 monitoring in waste water or biodiversity monitoring. Moreover, the event will provide an opportunity to discuss capacity-development programmes and infrastructure requirements and remaining challenges in the pan-European region.

Specifically, the event will address the following questions:
- What are the main achievements of establishing a Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS) in Europe and Central Asia at the national level during the past 10 years?
- How does sound environmental monitoring and SEIS help to address the triple planetary crisis and to strengthen the resilience of people and ecosystems in the pan-European region?
What are the future needs in implementing SEIS and how innovation in monitoring, digitalization and citizens science can effectively contribute to keep the environment under regular review .

The event will be moderated by Ms. Sylvie Motard, Acting Director, UNEP Regional Office for Europe and will involve various speakers from international and regional organizations and member States.

The side event will be organized with the financial support of the European Union through the EU4 Environment Water Resources and Environmental Data programme.