Kuwait Integrated Environmental Information Network (KIEIN-IV): a way of developing national environmental indicators for better environmental information dissemination

Abstract

One of the main challenges that face Kuwait is the development of environmental indicators for sustainable development. For this purpose, the Kuwait Integrated Environmental Information Network (KIEIN) multi-phase project was initiated in 1994 with the main goal of developing an interactive environmental information platform. The final KIEIN-IV aims at developing the national environmental indicators, which will be embedded in a web service interface. Key issues behind this project are the dissemination of these indicators among society to maximise the societal benefits and foster the synergy and integration between different users to obtain the utmost benefit. The six main thematic areas, atmosphere and climate change, land, coastal and marine environment, fresh water, biodiversity, and waste management, were developed for the KIEIN GeoPortal. These themes are key environmental issues that are broken down into indicators. In this regard, six Themes, 22 Issues and 65 Indicators were listed.

Keywords::

• environmental indicators
• biodiversity
• driving forces
• ecosystem validity