Environmental Information on the Web

by Zuali H. Malsawma

(October 2003) Among the many websites on the environment, here are several that are particularly useful for statistical data, reports, and other information on the environment and its links to population and health.

National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) www.cnie.org
NCSE is a nonprofit organization working to improve the scientific basis for environmental decisionmaking. Its website contains organizational and conference information and news; a National Library for the Environment that includes information on programs; hot topics; featured links; Congressional Research Service reports; and other online reference resources.

PopPlanet www.popplanet.org
Developed by the National Council for Science and the Environment in partnership with the Population Reference Bureau, PopPlanet focuses on the relationship among population, health, and environmental issues. It features an online moderated bulletin board in English, Spanish, and French, and profiles for selected countries.

World Resources Institute (WRI) www.wri.org
WRI, an environmental think tank, provides a wealth of resources on its site including the EarthTrends portal. This portal leads to information on regional and country-specific coastal and marine ecosystems, water resources, climate, population and health, economics, energy, biodiversity, agriculture, forests, and environmental governance and institutions. Under each topic you will find a searchable database, data tables, country profiles, maps, and features.

UNEP.Net (United Nations Environment Programme) www.unep.net
The site provides thematic portals on climate change, freshwater, the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) data portal, mountains, socioeconomic, and urban environment. The regional portals available at this time consist of the Arctic, Europe and Latin America. Country profiles are also provided as well as a search function by resource type and topic.

GEO: Global Environment Outlook 3 (United Nations Environment Programme) www.unep.org/geo/geo3/
GEO-3 presents an overview of global and regional environment and development issues over the past 30 years, analyzes state of the environment and policy, discusses human vulnerability to environmental change, presents visions of the future, and provides options for policy actions. A data portal, data compendium, and electronic references are also included.

Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) www.fao.org
The FAO is one of the largest UN specialized agencies, mandated to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, improve agricultural productivity, and to better the conditions of rural populations. Its site provides a wealth of information on FAO activities, including access to statistical databases and reporting on agriculture, economics, forestry, fisheries, sustainable development, nutrition, and more.

Linkages (International Institute for Sustainable Development) www.iisd.ca/
This site provides the latest news, information, and analysis from international environmental and development negotiations including meetings, media reports, publications, and online resources.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) www.panda.org
WWF's site provides regional and country-specific conservation program information, WWF strategy and partnerships, news, fact sheets and other publications, a photo gallery, and activist information.

Environmental Change and Security Project www.ecsp.si.edu
This project of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars offers current events and many full-text reports on environment, population, and security. All issues of the project's annual journals, ECSP Report and China Environment Series, are available in full-text here.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) www.redlist.org
The Red List catalogs and highlights animal and plant species that are facing a high risk of global extinction. The information provided by the database includes the species' taxonomy details, scientific name, common names, assessment date, country/region of occurrence, population trends, and data sources.

People & the Planet www.peopleandplanet.net
This website is devoted to the inter-related issues of population, poverty, consumption, health, and the environment. Fifteen key topics are offered including population pressures, food and agriculture, reproductive health, pollution, coasts and oceans, renewable energy, poverty and trade, climate change, green industry, ecotourism, biodiversity, mountains, forests, water, and cities. Each topic includes an overview, facts and figures, features, news stories, book and film reviews, glossary, and Web links.

Earth Policy Institute www.earth-policy.org/
The Institute is dedicated to providing a vision of what an eco-economy (an environmentally sustainable economy) looks like. The site provides publications, key indicators, news and alerts, lectures, transcripts, and related resources.

World Bank's Environment Information http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/ESSD/essdext.nsf/41ByDocName/Environment At this site, the World Bank's work on environmental issues is categorized under themes, strategy, regions, mainstreaming, projects, analytical and advisory assistance, operational policies, learning and capacity building, publications, partnerships, and media contacts. Each category provides links to relevant activities and resources across the Bank's many sectors.

Population Reference Bureau's Environment section www.prb.org/environment
The Environment section on PRB's website offers data and in-depth analysis in the form of articles, datasheets, reports, and graphs. Links to relevant websites and resources are also provided.

Population Action International's Environment section www.populationaction.org/issues/environment/index.htm
PAI's site on the environment contains full-text publications including fact sheets and several reports.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) & the Environment www.usaid.gov/environment/
The site provides information on USAID's programs to tackle major environmental problems worldwide. Country-specific environmental activities can be accessed through the section "Where We Work."

National Audubon Society's Population & Habitat Program www.audubonpopulation.org
This program website contains information about the program, news, fact sheets, publications and videos, legislative updates, and activist resources.

National Wildlife Federation's Population & Environment www.nwf.org/international/pop
This NWF website includes quick facts, fact sheets, reports on population and environment issues, and information for activists. Registered users can access a monthly newsletter and periodic e-mail alerts.

Sierra Club's Global Population and Environment Program www.sierraclub.org/population/
Several articles on population and environment issues are available here, including a newsletter and activist resources.

Worldwatch Institute www.worldwatch.org
Worldwatch informs policymakers and the public about emerging global problems and trends and the complex links betweeen the world economy and its environmental support systems. The website contains publications, a resource center, a press room, scheduled live discussions with a researcher, and information on global partners.

Climatology and Atmospheric Science (Science Education Resource Center, Carleton College) http://serc.carleton.edu/536
This page links to resources that contain historical climate data, climate model outputs, climate maps, and weather data.

The URLs listed here were accurate as of October 17, 2003. A more comprehensive list of websites is also available at another PRB website, www.popnet.org.

Zuali Malsawma is the librarian at the Population Reference Bureau.