Matching the needs of a nation: The strategic roles of indicators for decisionmaking
- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor (Malaysia)
Indicators are important tools for communicating and making accessible scientific and technical information to policymakers and the general public. They therefore play an important role in transforming information into action. Worldwide, many initiatives are underway to construct indicators for a variety of purposes, including those for reporting on sustainable development. This paper briefly describes the attempts made so far, but stresses that the users of the indicators should play a greater role in indicator construction. In developing countries, a substantial lack of data has meant that specific policy formulation may develop without adequate technical input. In developed countries also, data gaps may hinder policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation. However, the development of indicators as tools to assist in the management of hazardous wastes and toxic chemicals is still in the early stages of formulation. A more imaginative program of indicators and indices is required, where targets are well defined and the users clearly identified to assist in decision making, especially at the local and national levels. A broader range of pressure indicators, beyond hazardous wastes, is proposed to integrate toxic chemicals, emissions, and environmental and human health impacts. 39 refs., 3 figs.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 567670
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9611157-; ON: DE97009015; TRN: 98:000722-0002
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 1996 Pacific Basin conference on hazardous waste, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), 4-8 Nov 1996; Other Information: PBD: [1996]; Related Information: Is Part Of Pacific Basin conference on hazardous waste: Proceedings; PB: 706 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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