Le processus d`évaluation phare du PNUE est l`avenir de l`environnement mondial(GEO) projet insitue en réponse aux exigences de rapports environnementaux de l'Agenda 21 et à une décision du Conseil d'administration du PNUE de mai 1995 qui a demandé la production d`un rapport compréhensible sur la suivie de l`état de l'environnement mondial.

Trois rapports de GEO ont été publiés à ce jour: GEO - 1 en 1997; GEO - 2000 en 1999 et GEO - 3 en 2002. Le prochain rapport GEO (GEO - 4) sera publié en octobre 2007.

At the 22nd session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GMEF) in 2003 governments requested UNEP to prepare an annual Global Environment Outlook statement to highlight significant environmental events and achievements during the year. Keeping abreast of environmental issues as they unfold, the GEO annual statement (GEO Year Book) is released in the beginning of every year. The GEO Year Book 2003, the first in the annual series, was launched at the 8th Special Session of the GC/GMEF on the 29th March, 2004.

GEO aims to achieve the following objectives:

• To provide access to the best scientific knowledge for international environmental governance and the mainstreaming of environmental concerns into social and economic sectors, and in support of internationally agreed environmental goals.
  
• Facilitate the interaction between science and policy through a multi scaled and multi-dimensional integrated assessment process and products of high legitimacy, credibility and utility.
• Build geographic and gender-balanced partnerships and capacity for environmental assessments.

Through an integrated environmental assessment approach, GEO answers five fundamental questions:

1- What is happening to the environment and why?
2- What are the consequences for the environment and humanity?
3- What is being done and how effective is it?
4- Where are we heading?
5- What actions could be taken for a more sustainable future?

GEO's primary target audiences are UNEP’s Governing Bodies and policy advisors in relevant government ministries. The assessment also reaches out to other UN organizations, Inter-Governmental Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, civil society, scientific communities, media, the private sector and the general public.

GEO is both a process and a series of reports, analyzing environmental change, causes, impacts, and policy responses. It provides information for decision-making, supports early warning and builds capacity at global and sub-global levels. GEO is also a communication process that aims at raising awareness and providing options for action.

Organization and Production Process

Approach

The essence of GEO’s value as a tool for policymakers is its integrated approach. GEO links state of the environment with policy analysis, incorporating historical, current and future perspectives, combining global perspectives with sub-global views.

GEO aims at being relevant to policymakers by identifying the state of and trends in the environment, how the current state was reached, in what direction trends are developing, how effective are the measures being taken and where are the gaps. In so doing, GEO identifies intervention points and opportunities for policymakers to address priority environmental issues. GEO also raises awareness of emerging environmental issues that require policy attention.

During the preparation of each report the GEO team organizes consultations inviting policy makers, Collaborating Centres, scientists, NGOs and other stakeholders to review and comment on the draft materials. These drafts are also subject to peer review by experts from scientific and policy institutes and other UN agencies.

The process of consultation and collaboration gives stakeholders a strong sense of ownership of the process and its products.

Collaboration & Partnership

GEO has developed a rigorous process for gathering information and data, sharing of knowledge and analysis in consultation and collaboration with partners and stakeholders at all levels from around the globe.

A world-wide network of GEO Collaborating Centres forms a strong assessment partnership at the core of the process and a focus for building capacity at various levels. Comprehensive, consultative, advisory and peer review mechanisms involving governments, non-governmental organizations and scientific institutions characterize the process. The production process is underpinned by a dedicated and up-to-date interactive online data system called the GEO Data Portal. This participatory and consultative approach gives GEO assessments scientific credibility, accuracy and authority, targeting a broad audience by providing information to support environmental management and policy development at global, regional and sub-regional levels.

Capacity Building

Demand driven capacity building on the methodology and process is often hands-on and achieved through the active participation of developing country experts in the assessment. Such capacity building is not only in the context of the main report but also in support of regional, sub-regional, national and city environment outlook reporting processes in different regions.

Tools and methodologies developed and refined to support partners and stakeholders in undertaking assessments are the foundations of GEO capacity building. The GEO ‘tool box’ includes conceptual frameworks, analytical tools, guidelines, processes and procedures and databases. UNEP has established a Capacity Building Expert Working Group to develop specific capacity building manuals, guidelines and tools. A new training manual is currently under production.

Capacity building is planned in the form of workshops as well as learning-by-doing processes, which typically culminate with the publishing of an environment outlook report.

Monitoring & Evaluation

As the GEO process has developed, emphasis has been put on monitoring and evaluation of both the process and its outputs.

This is done through: user surveys; reader surveys; Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analyses; impact studies; and monitoring of web traffic and media coverage. The results are fed back into the process to improve and build upon the positive elements.

Outreach

The latest of the GEO products, the much-anticipated GEO-4, is underway. The assessment process is essential to identifying the issues, state and trends of the global environment and in establishing the credibility and legitimacy of the findings.

Upon completion of the assessment and production of the report, there are essential elements that catalyze action and influence decision making. These are outreach and engagement; capacity building and access to data. Last but not least, additional funding is required to facilitate implementation in these areas.

For more information on how to support the GEO process please contact:

Mr. Munyaradzi Chenje
Head, Global Environment Outlook (GEO) Section
Division of Early Warning and Assessment (DEWA)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya
Tel: +254-20-7624546
Fax: +254-20-7623944

back to top