Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics (FDES 2013)28
primarily on qualitative characterizations, though sometimes including quantitative aspects,
such as environmental engagement.
2 .7. Main attributes of the components of the FDES
2.45. Table 2.3 provides a description of the six components and the related types of data, as
well as main sources and institutions. It also includes a description of the relationship of each
component to the DSPIR framework and the SEEA.
Table 2.3
Main attributes of the components of the FDES
Description
Types
of data Main sources and institutions
Relation to DPSIR and
the SEEA
Component 1:
Environmental
Conditions and
Quality
Meteorological, hydrographical, geologi -
cal, geographical, biological, physical and
chemical conditions and characteristics of
the environment that determine ecosys-
tems and environmental quality
• Geospatial
• Physical
• Qualitative
• Monitoring systems
• Remote sensing data
• Environmental, meteorological, hydrological, geologi -
cal and geographical authorities or institutions
• State and Impact ele-
ment in DPSIR
• Experimental ecosys-
tem accounts of the
SEEA
Component 2:
Environmental
Resources and their
Use
Quantities of environmental resources
and their changes and statistics on activi -
ties related to their use and management
• Physical
• Geospatial
• Statistical surveys
• Administrative records
• Remote sensing
• NSOs
• Authorities and institutions such as mining, energy,
agriculture, water and forest
• Driving force, Pressure
and State elements in
DPSIR
• Asset and physical
flow accounts of the
SEEA-CF
Component 3:
Residuals
Generation, management and discharge
of residuals to air, water and soil
• Physical • Statistical surveys
• Administrative records
• Monitoring systems
• Pressure and
Response elements
in DPSIR
• Physical flow accounts
of the SEEA-CF
Component 4:
Extreme Events
and Disasters
Occurrence and impact of natural
extreme events and disasters, and tech-
nological disasters
• Physical
• Monetary
• Geospatial
• Qualitative
• Administrative records
• Remote sensing
• Emergency and disaster authorities
• Seismic, meteorological monitoring and research
centres
• Industrial complexes that work with hazardous sub-
stances and processes
• Insurance companies
• Pressure, Impact and
Response elements
in DPSIR
• Asset accounts of the
SEEA-CF
Component 5:
Human Settlements
and Environmental
Health
The built environment in which humans
live, particularly with regard to popula-
tion, housing, living conditions, basic
services and environmental health
• Geospatial
• Physical
• Statistical surveys
• Administrative records
• Remote sensing
• NSOs
• Housing and urban planning and oversight authorities
• Cartographic authorities
• Transport authorities
• For health and administrative records, the health
authority
Driving force, Pressure
and Impact elements
in DPSIR
Component 6:
Environmental
Protection,
Management and
Engagement
Environmental protection and resource
management expenditure, environmen-
tal regulation, both direct and via market
instruments, disaster preparedness,
environmental perception, awareness
and engagement of the society
• Monetary
• Qualitative
• Statistical surveys
• Administrative records
• Remote sensing
• NSOs
• Entity producing government expenditure statistics
• Statistical entity in charge of national or subnational
surveys
• Environmental authority and other sector authorities
• Response element in
DPSIR
• Environmental
activity accounts and
related flows of the
SEEA-CF
29
Chapter 3
Components of the FDES and the Basic
Set of Environment Statistics
3.1.
The conceptual foundation, the six constituent components and the main structure of
the FDES were introduced in Chapter 2. The objective of Chapter 3 is to explain in detail how
the contents of the FDES are organized within its constituent components.
3.2.
Environmental Conditions and Quality (Component 1) is at the centre of the FDES.
The other five components have been established based on their relationship with the central
component. Each component is broken down into subcomponents that in turn include relevant
statistical topics. The statistical topics represent the measurable aspects of the components of
the FDES, taking into consideration the types and sources of the data needed to describe them.
The final level contains the actual individual environment statistics.
3.3.
Chapter 3 is organized in six parts describing each of the components of the FDES. The
description usually covers the most important aspects, including their relevance to environ
mental policy, scope and content, the type of data typically used or obtained in measurement,
the most common sources of data, and the main institutional stakeholders needed to produce
the underlying environment statistics. The relation to other frameworks and areas of statistics is
also described, where applicable. A comprehensive set of environment statistics underlying the
topics (the Basic Set of Environment Statistics) is presented after each component description.
3.4.
This Basic Set of Environment Statistics is designed with enough flexibility to adapt to
individual countries’ environmental concerns, priorities and resources. The Basic Set contains
the most important environment statistics in each topic, based on a progression of three tiers.
Tier 1 constitutes the Core Set of Environment Statistics. A more detailed description of the
development of the Basic Set, the description of the three tiers, and the statistics in the Core
Set are found in Chapter 4. The full Basic Set of Environment Statistics is found in Annex A.
3.1. Component 1:
Environmental Conditions and
Quality
3.5.
Component 1 includes statistics about the physical, biological and chemical character
istics of the environment and their changes over time. These fundamental background condi
tions are strongly interrelated and determine the types, extent, conditions and health of eco
systems. Many of these natural conditions change very slowly as a result of natural processes
or human influence. Others may show immediate and dramatic effects. Importantly, changes
in environmental conditions and quality are the result of combined and accumulated impacts
of natural and human processes. Connecting the changes with individual activities or events
is thus not a straightforward process.
3.6.
The source of the data is usually remote sensing and monitoring by environmental,
meteorological, hydrological, geological and geographical authorities or institutions. Due to
Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics (FDES 2013) 30 the nature of this field, the use of maps and cartographic information is the common way to present the relevant information, in addition to statistical tabulations. 3.7. Component 1 includes statistics relevant to the State and Impact elements of the DPSIR framework. It also provides basic statistics for the SEEA Experimental Ecosystem Accounting. 3.8. Component 1 contains three subcomponents: i. Subcomponent 1.1: Physical Conditions; ii. Subcomponent 1.2: Land Cover, Ecosystems and Biodiversity; and iii. Subcomponent 1.3: Environmental Quality. Subcomponent 1.1: Physical Conditions 3.9. Subcomponent 1.1: Physical Conditions, is designed to capture those physical aspects of the environment which change relatively slowly because of human influence. It contains statistics on meteorological, hydrographical, geological, geographical conditions and soil char acteristics. While the other subcomponents are also part of the physical environment, their physical, biological or chemical characteristics can be influenced in the short to mid-term by human activities. 3.10. Statistics on these general physical conditions are important, as they help determine the scope of and influences on the environmental resources of a country. Without information on these baseline conditions, it is difficult for governments to judge the need for and efficacy of policies. Topic 1.1.1: Atmosphere, climate and weather 3.11. This topic covers data on atmospheric, climatic and weather conditions across terri tories and over time. Weather information describes the atmosphere’s behaviour over a given territory in the short term. It is recorded by countries through a network of monitoring sta tions. Climate is determined by long-term weather conditions over that territory. Relevant data usually include aspects such as temperature, precipitation, humidity, pressure, wind speed, solar radiation, ultraviolet (UV) radiation and the occurrence of El Niño and La Niña events. 3.12. In most countries atmospheric, weather and climate authorities monitor and record these types of environmental data over long periods using a network of monitoring stations scattered throughout the country. They usually produce data covering long time series of cli mate and atmospheric information with a very high level of detail. The data available in most countries are too dense and detailed for the purposes of environment statistics, so they must be processed (for example, synthesized and aggregated, with central tendencies and variances established with respect to both time and space) to produce environment statistics on weather and climate. Time and seasonal variability is crucial when recording and organizing these types of statistics. The territorial reference of the measurements is important because although the entire territory of a country cannot be monitored, the spatial configuration of the monitor ing stations is usually relevant to local and subnational conditions and concerns. 3.13. Statistics on air quality are covered under Subcomponent 1.3: Environmental Quality.
31 Components of the FDES and the Basic Set of Environment Statistics 31 Table 3.1.1.1 Statistics and related information for Topic 1.1.1 Component 1: Environmental Conditions and Quality Subcomponent 1.1: Physical Conditions Topic 1.1.1: Atmosphere, climate and weather Statistics and related information Category of measurement Potential aggregations and scales Methodological guidance (Bold text—Core Set/Tier 1; regular text—Tier 2; italicized text—Tier 3) a. Temperature •• National •• Subnational •• World Meteorological Organization (WMO) •• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) •• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/National Aeronautics and Space Administra tion (NASA)
- Monthly average Degrees
- Minimum monthly average Degrees
- Maximum monthly average Degrees b. Precipitation (also in 2.6.1.a)
- Annual average Height
- Long-term annual average Height
- Monthly average Height
- Minimum monthly value Height
- Maximum monthly value Height c. Relative humidity
- Minimum monthly value Number
- Maximum monthly value Number d. Pressure •• National •• Subnational •• By station
- Minimum monthly value Pressure unit
- Maximum monthly value Pressure unit e. Wind speed •• National •• Subnational
- Minimum monthly value Speed
- Maximum monthly value Speed f. Solar radiation •• WMO •• IPCC •• NOAA /NASA
- Average daily value Area, energy unit
- Average monthly value Area, energy unit
- Number of hours of sunshine Number •• National •• Subnational •• By month and per year g. UV radiation •• National •• Subnational •• World Health Organization (WHO)-UV Radiation Index •• WMO-UV Radiation
- Maximum daily value Area, energy unit
- Average daily value Area, energy unit
- Maximum monthly value Area, energy unit
- Average monthly value Area, energy unit h. Occurrence of El Niño/La Niña events, when relevant •• By location •• National •• Subnational
- Occurrence Number
- Time period Time period Topic 1.1.2: Hydrographical characteristics 3.14. This topic includes hydrographical information on the extent, location and character istics of lakes, rivers and streams, artificial reservoirs, watersheds, seas, aquifers and glaciers. This information is best presented in map form. The main sources are hydrographical and hydrological monitoring and information systems that are usually managed by national geo graphical, hydrological institutions and water authorities. The data are usually produced for individual river basins or catchments, for use at national and subnational levels. Important exclusions from this topic include water-quality statistics (contained in Topic 1.3.2: Freshwater quality and Topic 1.3.3: Marine water quality) and water resources and their use (contained in Component 2: Environmental Resources and their Use).
Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics (FDES 2013) 32 Table 3.1.1.2 Statistics and related information for Topic 1.1.2 Component 1: Environmental Conditions and Quality Subcomponent 1.1: Physical Conditions Topic 1.1.2: Hydrographical characteristics Statistics and related information Category of measurement Potential aggregations and scales Methodological guidance (Bold text—Core Set/Tier 1; regular text—Tier 2; italicized text—Tier 3) a. Lakes •• By location •• By watershed/river basin •• National •• Subnational •• United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD): International Recommendations for Water Statistics (IRWS) •• UN-Water
- Surface area Area
- Maximum depth Depth b. Rivers and streams
- Length Length c. Artificial reservoirs
- Surface area Area
- Maximum depth Depth d. Watersheds
- Description of main watersheds Area, description e. Seas •• By location •• National, within coastal waters or Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
- Coastal waters Area
- Territorial sea Area
- Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Area
- Sea level Depth
- Area of sea ice Area f. Aquifers Depth, description •• By location •• By salinity levels •• By watershed •• National •• Subnational •• Renewable •• Non-renewable g. Glaciers Area •• By location •• National •• Subnational Topic 1.1.3: Geological and geographical information 3.15. This topic includes general geological and topographic information on the extent and characteristics of the country’s territory and relief. These characteristics typically change slowly over time; as such, the statistics produced are normally static. Because of their nature, these geological (e.g., bedrock, fault lines and volcanoes), geographical (e.g., territorial borders, area of country, elevation and length of marine coastline) data are often presented in map form. The main data sources are information systems operated by national geographical and geological institutions and authorities. 3.16. Statistics on stocks of mineral resources and their extraction are included in Compo nent 2: Environmental Resources and their Use.