- Email: [email protected]
Environmental Performance Reviews: Estonia
Reviews / Journal of Government Information 27 (2000) 495 ± 536
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for its own people, or certainly not for less-educated segments of the population who would not be proficient in English. Although Montenegro is one of the two states comprising the FRY, it is rarely mentioned on the site. The statistical information that is available contains disclaimers that the Albanians have inflated the numbers to make their population seem larger. This site does not provide much information on Yugoslavia itself, although there is a small amount of objective and useful information, such as the constitution and information on some government officials. For anyone studying government or media propaganda, this would be an excellent site.
Notes 1. U.S. Department of State. Background notes: Serbia and Montenegro.. Accessed October 19, 1999. Washington, DC: Department of State, 1999. 2. Federal Republic of Yugoslavia official Web site: facts about FRY. . Accessed October 19, 1999. 3. Destruction of facilities for power generation and transmission in FRY. . Accessed October 19, 1999. 4. Kosovo and Metohija facts: Kosovo and Metohija in numbers. . Accessed October 19, 1999. 5. Kosovo and Metohija facts: the rights of the members of the national minorities. . Accessed October 19, 1999. 6. Kosovo and Metohija facts: historical review. . Accessed October 19, 1999.
Carol Ann Borchert Tampa Campus Library, University of South Florida, LIB 122, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620-5400, USA PII: S 1 3 5 2 - 0 2 3 7 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 1 9 9 - 4
Environmental performance reviews: Estonia New York: United Nations, 1996. 102 pp. UN Sales No. E.97.II.E.40. ISBN 92-1-116678-0. US$35.00 Environmental performance reviews: Lithuania New York: United Nations, 1999. 190 pp. UN Sales No. E.99.II.E.7. ISBN 92-1-116709-4. US$35.00 In 1983, the United Nations established an independent commission to formulate new strategies for global environmental issues. The commission's final report, published in 1987 as
530
Reviews / Journal of Government Information 27 (2000) 495 ± 536
Our Common Future, coined the term ``sustainable development,'' defined as ``meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.'' 1 The concept gained an international following in 1992, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit, which was held in Rio de Janeiro. More heads of state attended the conference than any meeting in world history, and its draft document, Agenda 21, has become one of the most cited UN documents ever. Since then there has been an avalanche of International Governmental Organizations (IGO) publications on environmentally sustainable development. The World Bank produces dozens of environmental studies, including its Environmentally Sustainable Development Studies and Monographs series, and holds an International Conference on Environmentally Sustainable Development annually. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) publishes its own Environmental Performance Reviews, that, to date, cover 25 countries. Numerous other IGOs, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT), have grown in prominence as the world struggles to cope with rapid economic growth and its accompanying environmental problems. Now, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) has thrown itself into the fray, with another series also entitled Environmental Performance Reviews. This book review concentrates on the two volumes for Estonia and Lithuania, but altogether the series includes five Eastern European countries: Estonia, Slovenia, Republic of Moldova, Lithuania, and Latvia. The ECE reports attempt to accomplish the same goals as the OECD surveys. Both seek to promote sustainable development, foster environmental accountability, and stimulate continuous policy dialogue between member nations. A striking resemblance between the two is that the ECE borrows directly from the OECD approach. The structure of the review process, the methodology, and even the tables of contents are virtually identical. Such similarities invite natural comparison, and overall the OECD reports are superior: they are better organized, more professionally laid out, and easier to read. Yet the ECE, with its smaller publications budget, has arguably done something more meaningful by focusing on the environmental problems of transition economies. In this respect the UN Commission is to be applauded for identifying key issues within its region, and producing timely reports beneficial to both officials and scholars. All reviews were conducted using a peer-review process, designed to promote the exchange of information between member nations. In the case of Estonia, 14 persons took part in the review, along with representatives from five ECE countries. The structure of the surveys for Estonia and Lithuania is similar. Introductory chapters focus on the physical and human context, including facts on geography, population, government, and the economy. Other sections concentrate on management of pollution and environmental resources, including air, water, hazardous waste, soil contamination, and natural resources. There are statistics on emissions, waste generation, pesticide use, energy and water consumption, deforestation, wildlife, mineral resources, and more. But most of the text concentrates on environmental policy. Economic and environmental integration, legal instruments, institutional structure, and sustainable development are examined at length. There is substantial discussion of international cooperation, as well
Reviews / Journal of Government Information 27 (2000) 495 ± 536
531
as lists of multilateral and regional environmental agreements signed by ECE countries, with dates of ratification and entry into force. Analysis of each country's compliance with some of these (e.g., the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Vienna Convention for Protection of the Ozone Layer, and Agenda 21), constitute an important part of both reviews. Although comparable in scope, the reviews are far from identical. The Estonian report devotes much attention to the energy sector, due to large deposits of oil shale in the country. In 1994, the country was undergoing a transformation from a planned to a market economy, and the land had been polluted from years of exploitation by the Soviet Union. Ironically, the economic turndown had a beneficial effect on the environment, with a slacking of industrial development leading to decreases in air and water pollution. Overall, the picture is of a country striving to recover from years of environmental mismanagement and economic recession. The Lithuanian report is distinctly different. By 1997, when the Lithuanian survey was conducted, substantial changes had taken place in Eastern Europe. Environmental regulations were more fully enforced, economies were better developed, and international cooperation had reached a new level. In 1996, Lithuania had already applied for membership in the European Union, subjecting itself to numerous EU environmental directives. Perhaps as a consequence, the Lithuanian study devotes more attention to legal instruments, policy objectives, and regulatory structure, as well as entire chapters on integration of economic and environmental decisions, cleaner technologies, spatial planning, human health, and agriculture. Better organized and edited, the Lithuanian review demonstrates how the series, along with the countries, has improved over the past few years. Both volumes are brimming with detail, in the case of Lithuania perhaps overly so. The Estonian report is helpful in that key facts and recommendations are italicized. Shorter and more factually oriented, it is stylistically less polished, but easier to absorb. The Lithuanian report, in contrast, is a well-written volume that is somewhat overdone. There is no lack of content, but wading through pages of detail to locate significant information can be a burden. Students of political science and public administration will find both reviews informative, as policy objectives, regulatory structure, and current legislation are discussed in depth. Researchers working in environmental science or economics will find a bit less substance. Graphs and tables, although supportive of the text, are not designed for detailed environmental analysis, and like many UN publications, data is scattered throughout the text in graphic format, without being consolidated into statistical appendices. Time series data are almost non-existent, admittedly for good reason, as not much is available for such new countries. Neither of the volumes should be consulted by students seeking detailed environmental data in Europe. The ECE has undertaken a more urgent task than the OECD, as the countries with which it deals are of greater environmental concern. The work of the commission in this regard is both timely and important and, as always, the United Nations remains an authority in the field of international law. Researchers looking for detailed environmental or economic data would be advised to consult other resources, but if the reviews come up short in this area, one should recall who wrote them and for what reason. IGO
532
Reviews / Journal of Government Information 27 (2000) 495 ± 536
documents are not published with the needs of students and scholars in mind, and if the academic community benefits from such work, this is something for which one should be grateful. The promotion of environmentally sustainable development throughout Europe is the true purpose of the reviews, and if this is achieved, the commission will have met its goal. Note 1. World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common Future. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1987):43.
James A. Church University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0175, USA PII: S 1 3 5 2 - 0 2 3 7 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 2 0 0 - 8
Protecting our planet, securing our future: linkages among global environmental issues and human needs By Robert T. Watson et al. Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Programme; Washington, DC: US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, The World Bank, 1998. 116 pp. UN Sales Number: E.99.III.D.75. $25.00 Protecting Our Planet, Securing Our Future: Linkages Among Global Environmental Issues and Human Needs is a collaborative effort of the United Nations Environment Programme, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the World Bank. It attempts to draw together information from international studies and reports to identify links among environmental issues and science, policy and the meeting of basic human needs. It resulted from a UNEP workshop that focused on conserving biodiversity. Since it was apparent at the meeting that key figures in the environmental arena were viewing critical environmental issues as separate from one another, the UNEP suggested this study to identify the key linkages. The authors and contributors direct their findings toward an audience of policymakers representing their governments at environmental conventions and managers/planners in ministries related to the environment, but the text is recommended for the general environmental and policy community, and would be a valuable addition to any research library. The Executive Summary provides a succinct overview of the text. Ten years after two key environmental conferences, the Brundtland Commission and the Earth Summit in Rio, ``the number of global environmental problems are growing more severe and are beginning to threaten the ability of nations to meet the development goals of a growing
529
for its own people, or certainly not for less-educated segments of the population who would not be proficient in English. Although Montenegro is one of the two states comprising the FRY, it is rarely mentioned on the site. The statistical information that is available contains disclaimers that the Albanians have inflated the numbers to make their population seem larger. This site does not provide much information on Yugoslavia itself, although there is a small amount of objective and useful information, such as the constitution and information on some government officials. For anyone studying government or media propaganda, this would be an excellent site.
Notes 1. U.S. Department of State. Background notes: Serbia and Montenegro.
Carol Ann Borchert Tampa Campus Library, University of South Florida, LIB 122, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620-5400, USA PII: S 1 3 5 2 - 0 2 3 7 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 1 9 9 - 4
Environmental performance reviews: Estonia New York: United Nations, 1996. 102 pp. UN Sales No. E.97.II.E.40. ISBN 92-1-116678-0. US$35.00 Environmental performance reviews: Lithuania New York: United Nations, 1999. 190 pp. UN Sales No. E.99.II.E.7. ISBN 92-1-116709-4. US$35.00 In 1983, the United Nations established an independent commission to formulate new strategies for global environmental issues. The commission's final report, published in 1987 as
530
Reviews / Journal of Government Information 27 (2000) 495 ± 536
Our Common Future, coined the term ``sustainable development,'' defined as ``meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.'' 1 The concept gained an international following in 1992, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit, which was held in Rio de Janeiro. More heads of state attended the conference than any meeting in world history, and its draft document, Agenda 21, has become one of the most cited UN documents ever. Since then there has been an avalanche of International Governmental Organizations (IGO) publications on environmentally sustainable development. The World Bank produces dozens of environmental studies, including its Environmentally Sustainable Development Studies and Monographs series, and holds an International Conference on Environmentally Sustainable Development annually. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) publishes its own Environmental Performance Reviews, that, to date, cover 25 countries. Numerous other IGOs, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT), have grown in prominence as the world struggles to cope with rapid economic growth and its accompanying environmental problems. Now, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) has thrown itself into the fray, with another series also entitled Environmental Performance Reviews. This book review concentrates on the two volumes for Estonia and Lithuania, but altogether the series includes five Eastern European countries: Estonia, Slovenia, Republic of Moldova, Lithuania, and Latvia. The ECE reports attempt to accomplish the same goals as the OECD surveys. Both seek to promote sustainable development, foster environmental accountability, and stimulate continuous policy dialogue between member nations. A striking resemblance between the two is that the ECE borrows directly from the OECD approach. The structure of the review process, the methodology, and even the tables of contents are virtually identical. Such similarities invite natural comparison, and overall the OECD reports are superior: they are better organized, more professionally laid out, and easier to read. Yet the ECE, with its smaller publications budget, has arguably done something more meaningful by focusing on the environmental problems of transition economies. In this respect the UN Commission is to be applauded for identifying key issues within its region, and producing timely reports beneficial to both officials and scholars. All reviews were conducted using a peer-review process, designed to promote the exchange of information between member nations. In the case of Estonia, 14 persons took part in the review, along with representatives from five ECE countries. The structure of the surveys for Estonia and Lithuania is similar. Introductory chapters focus on the physical and human context, including facts on geography, population, government, and the economy. Other sections concentrate on management of pollution and environmental resources, including air, water, hazardous waste, soil contamination, and natural resources. There are statistics on emissions, waste generation, pesticide use, energy and water consumption, deforestation, wildlife, mineral resources, and more. But most of the text concentrates on environmental policy. Economic and environmental integration, legal instruments, institutional structure, and sustainable development are examined at length. There is substantial discussion of international cooperation, as well
Reviews / Journal of Government Information 27 (2000) 495 ± 536
531
as lists of multilateral and regional environmental agreements signed by ECE countries, with dates of ratification and entry into force. Analysis of each country's compliance with some of these (e.g., the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Vienna Convention for Protection of the Ozone Layer, and Agenda 21), constitute an important part of both reviews. Although comparable in scope, the reviews are far from identical. The Estonian report devotes much attention to the energy sector, due to large deposits of oil shale in the country. In 1994, the country was undergoing a transformation from a planned to a market economy, and the land had been polluted from years of exploitation by the Soviet Union. Ironically, the economic turndown had a beneficial effect on the environment, with a slacking of industrial development leading to decreases in air and water pollution. Overall, the picture is of a country striving to recover from years of environmental mismanagement and economic recession. The Lithuanian report is distinctly different. By 1997, when the Lithuanian survey was conducted, substantial changes had taken place in Eastern Europe. Environmental regulations were more fully enforced, economies were better developed, and international cooperation had reached a new level. In 1996, Lithuania had already applied for membership in the European Union, subjecting itself to numerous EU environmental directives. Perhaps as a consequence, the Lithuanian study devotes more attention to legal instruments, policy objectives, and regulatory structure, as well as entire chapters on integration of economic and environmental decisions, cleaner technologies, spatial planning, human health, and agriculture. Better organized and edited, the Lithuanian review demonstrates how the series, along with the countries, has improved over the past few years. Both volumes are brimming with detail, in the case of Lithuania perhaps overly so. The Estonian report is helpful in that key facts and recommendations are italicized. Shorter and more factually oriented, it is stylistically less polished, but easier to absorb. The Lithuanian report, in contrast, is a well-written volume that is somewhat overdone. There is no lack of content, but wading through pages of detail to locate significant information can be a burden. Students of political science and public administration will find both reviews informative, as policy objectives, regulatory structure, and current legislation are discussed in depth. Researchers working in environmental science or economics will find a bit less substance. Graphs and tables, although supportive of the text, are not designed for detailed environmental analysis, and like many UN publications, data is scattered throughout the text in graphic format, without being consolidated into statistical appendices. Time series data are almost non-existent, admittedly for good reason, as not much is available for such new countries. Neither of the volumes should be consulted by students seeking detailed environmental data in Europe. The ECE has undertaken a more urgent task than the OECD, as the countries with which it deals are of greater environmental concern. The work of the commission in this regard is both timely and important and, as always, the United Nations remains an authority in the field of international law. Researchers looking for detailed environmental or economic data would be advised to consult other resources, but if the reviews come up short in this area, one should recall who wrote them and for what reason. IGO
532
Reviews / Journal of Government Information 27 (2000) 495 ± 536
documents are not published with the needs of students and scholars in mind, and if the academic community benefits from such work, this is something for which one should be grateful. The promotion of environmentally sustainable development throughout Europe is the true purpose of the reviews, and if this is achieved, the commission will have met its goal. Note 1. World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common Future. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1987):43.
James A. Church University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0175, USA PII: S 1 3 5 2 - 0 2 3 7 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 2 0 0 - 8
Protecting our planet, securing our future: linkages among global environmental issues and human needs By Robert T. Watson et al. Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Programme; Washington, DC: US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, The World Bank, 1998. 116 pp. UN Sales Number: E.99.III.D.75. $25.00 Protecting Our Planet, Securing Our Future: Linkages Among Global Environmental Issues and Human Needs is a collaborative effort of the United Nations Environment Programme, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the World Bank. It attempts to draw together information from international studies and reports to identify links among environmental issues and science, policy and the meeting of basic human needs. It resulted from a UNEP workshop that focused on conserving biodiversity. Since it was apparent at the meeting that key figures in the environmental arena were viewing critical environmental issues as separate from one another, the UNEP suggested this study to identify the key linkages. The authors and contributors direct their findings toward an audience of policymakers representing their governments at environmental conventions and managers/planners in ministries related to the environment, but the text is recommended for the general environmental and policy community, and would be a valuable addition to any research library. The Executive Summary provides a succinct overview of the text. Ten years after two key environmental conferences, the Brundtland Commission and the Earth Summit in Rio, ``the number of global environmental problems are growing more severe and are beginning to threaten the ability of nations to meet the development goals of a growing