Natural Resource and Environmental Information for Decisionmaking, Hassan M. Hassan and Charles Hutchinson (eds), (Washington DC: The World Bank, 1992), 164 pp.
Market approaches; of general applicability to environmental problems; written for the first party participant.
Natural Resource and Environmental Information for Decisionmaking is a publication of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (The World Bank). It addresses the its use of information in the decision-making process.
Natural Resource and Environmental Information for Decisionmaking will be of interest to those who desire an understanding of the position of the World Bank on natural resource decision-making. The first chapter is an introduction which examines: the role of information in decision-making, and the need for, and uses of, natural resource and environmental information. Chapter two addresses the World Bank's operational experience utilizing natural resource information. This chapter examines the need to improve such information as well as offering examples of information utilization in projects in: Nepal, Indonesia, Africa and the Philippines.
The third chapter considers common information needs and methods for determining those needs. This is followed by suggestions for selecting from existing information. The same chapter offers basic and variable assessment criteria in addition to institutional considerations. Chapter five focuses upon additional processing of existing data and acquisition of new data. This is followed by a chapter on resource information management which focuses on Geographic Information Systems (GIS); their components, hardware, software and the implementation of their capabilities.
The penultimate chapter addresses institution building wherein the authors offer methods for: determining the nature of the problem; undertaking a so-called topology of institutional problems; and discussing underlying issues. The final chapter examines: current trends, World Bank requirements for environmental information, outlooks at the national, regional and global levels. The text is appended with two annexes, the first of which addresses resource information needs and sources. The second annex addresses resource information generation, analysis, and management.
Natural Resource and Environmental Information for Decisionmaking is a publication of the World Bank and represents its views on the subjects contained therein.
T. A. O'Lonergan
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