Resources, Services and Risks ― How Can Data Observatories Bridge the Science-policy Divide in Environmental Governance?

This book discusses the role of observatories in supporting evidence-based decision-making. The book focuses on issues of data accessibility, monitoring frameworks and governance processes with regard to environmental resources – water, soil and waste. This publication highlights challenges related to policy-implementation measures and examines current monitoring approaches, and illustrates how the UNU-FLORES Nexus Observatory seeks to overcome concerns related to data, monitoring and governance of water, soil and waste resources. In particular, given that extreme weather events such as droughts and floods are predicted to become more frequent in the future, it discusses the need for improved hazard risk monitoring. It proposes risk indices for drought and floods, which measure exposure and vulnerability to the phenomena through a multitude of bio-physical, socio-economic and institutional indicators. Furthermore, the potential for using openly accessible data made available through observatories in decision-making aimed at improving food security is also discussed. It acknowledges governments as key players in environmental resource management, and recognizes that decentralization reforms, as well as the emergence of information and communication technologies, have significantly changed the role of governments in promoting sustainable development. The book is particularly relevant for decision-makers, donor agencies, practitioners and students with an interest in environmental management who are also keen followers of discussions on the post-2015 monitoring agenda.

?Prof. Dr. Reza Ardakanian is the Founding Director of United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES<). He served as Director of the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development hosted by UNU (2007–2015) and as Vice-Rector of UNU in Europe, ad interim (2009–2011). He sat on the Boards of various international programmes/organisations such as UNESCO-IHP, UNESCO-IHE, the International Hydropower Association, and UNU-EHS. Prof. Dr. Ardakanian holds a PhD in Water Resources Management from McMaster University (Canada) and is a faculty member of Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran. He formerly held a number of national offices in Iran, including Deputy Minister for Water Affairs (2001–2005), Senior Vice-Minister (1998–2001) and Deputy Minister for Planning & Economic Affairs (1989–1991) with the Ministry of Energy, and Deputy Minister for Urban Development and Municipalities with the Ministry of Interior (1987–1989).