AGEDI will have the following targets :
Ø Policy Formulation that will include environmental data legislation and policy reform on a national and regional basis.
Ø Data Collection that will include not only the collection of the needed environmental quality data but also the inventory of definitions, quality ratings, standards, survey designs, methodologies, technologies, and implementation aspects of the data collection and assessment at the national and regional basis.
Ø Data Modeling and Analysis which will model inventory, selection and/or development, trends, and costs information.
Ø Capacity Building which addresses the establishment of inventories, and assessment of the corresponding existing environmental data collection and analysis capacities.
Ø Gap Analysis which focuses on the development and implementation of methodologies and techniques for identifying and bridging existing data gap between developed and developing countries.
Ø Data/Information Availability and Accessibility which establishes a baseline on which progress can be assessed. It will assist in developing ways and means through which countries can access, and be able to use, environmental data and information in the most efficient, fast, and cost effective way.
Ø Indicators Development whereby newly developed regional indicators will be assessed and recommended for use by countries of the regions.
Ø A set of internet searchable tools to help promote more effective use and exchange of environmental data and information, including the following:
1) Searchable interactive catalogues that document the information contained in these various streams of activity along thematic, geographic and temporal dimensions.
2) Tools to permit sharing of information about data quality, in order to share expertise more widely and more effectively.
3) Tools to permit integration of data from multiple sources, to reduce the often-forbidding transaction costs involved in engaging in serious sustainability assessments.

We are pleased that implementation of the Pilot Project at the local level is now complete. The Initiative is now looking into keeping these products updated consistently as well as developing new products that will support them.

Regional and Global Products
Developement of the West Asia Data Portal
On the regional level, work was completed in partnership with UNEP on a West Asia GEO portal. The Portal currently holds data corresponding to the West Asia region. AGEDI coordinated with UNEP in populating the portal with additional national and regional datasets and will now be hosting the portal.

Regional Best Practices Reports Distributed
As part of additional regional level efforts, UNEP and AGEDI conducted a study and produced reports on relevant experience relating to best practices in the development of data/information systems. Contributors include 11 country partners from the West Asia region and 4 regional authorities. An integrated study of both the region and the world, was also compiled.
To view the reports please visit www.agedi.ae

Local level Products
Launch of Abu Dhabi's First State of the Environment Report, March 2007
The Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi in collaboration with its main partners has launched its first State of the Environment Report. The web based report which is the first of its kind in the UAE, highlights the conditions of the environment in Abu Dhabi Emirate within the fields of natural geography, marine and
coastal environment, land and land resources, historical and archaeological heritage, water resources, pollution and waste management, economic and population development,environmental laws and policies, history and culture and environmental awareness.
For more information on the SOE or the launch please visit www.agedi.ae or view the report at www.soe.ae

9 Environmental and Socio-Economic Sector Papers Completed
One sub-component of the Abu Dhabi State of the Environment Assessment was to produce a compilation of “best available knowledge” concerning major environmental elements that society has a vested interest in protecting, in the form of Environmental and Socioeconomic “sector papers”. Nine sector papers were compiled to describe the existing environmental and Socioeconomic situation within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi,identify present environmental issues and highlight the gaps in knowledge. Inputs of sector papers were contributions of all stakeholders, as well as local universities and other sources of knowledge regarding each topic.
The reports are publicaly accesible through the Education Department of the Agency

To be Made Publicly Available soon

AGEDI Geoportal
The AGEDI Geoportal:
• Enables data to be held in distributed databases
• Ensures user access to the best and most current data is available by facilitating direct access to source data
• Eliminates duplication of databases resulting in reduced cost for data maintenance

AGEDI Imagery Database
To be available through the Geoportal
The image repository consists of the following images:
• Landsat images of 2002 ,2000 ,1996,1998
• IRS images 27.5m of 2005/2004
• IRS images 5.8m of 2006
• QuickBird images 60 cm of the coastal areas, islands and urban areas of 2006/2005

Establishment of a Steering Committee coordination body was formed. The steering committee comprises of Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) management, local partners and UNEP. Main coordination for the local aspect of the project is being dealt with by EAD. The Federal Environment Agency (FEA) in coordination of EAD will be responsible for national implementation. UNEP is coordinating all the UN related bodies. Coordination will occur at the local, national, regional and global levels.

As per the MOU signed on 21 October 2003, local implementation will have EAD primarily responsible for, while UNEP will be primarily responsible for AGEDI's implementation at the regional and global level.

Amount in US$: 5,000,000 Initially

Source(s): Government

Type(s): Computers - Office space - Other

Source(s): Government
Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD)