Using integrated state-of-environment reporting as a planning tool for resource management

The success of an ecosystems approach to river basin management depends greatly on the integration ofa wide range of information concerning the various components of the ecosystem, the formulation of realisticsolutions to complex problems, and finally, the support of all interested parties throughout the implementation phase:integrated State-of-Environment Reporting (SOER) can be an effective tool for meeting these challenges. Theecosystems approach is critical to the St. Lawrence Action Plan, a Canadian program which focuses on the protectionand conservation of the St. Lawrence River. The St. Lawrence Centre of Environment Canada not only acts asa catalyst in developing environmental partnerships among segments of the population, but synthesizes the resultsof these collective efforts. Its detailed evaluations on the state of the river environment perhaps best illustrate thenature of this task, because these reports must meet the particular environmental informational needs of many targetaudiences, which range from the general public to corporate decision-makers. SOER's practical nature facilitatesthe collection of data and the establishment of analysis targets and SOE indicators used in environmental monitoring.The integrated SOER framework developed at the St. Lawrence Centre represents a major challenge in the collection,integration, dissemination and use of environmental information. This framework is based in three majorobjectives: (1) information and education; (2) trend analysis and prediction; and (3) influence. Integrated SOER canbe a powerful tool: decision-makers will find it useful for designing action plans, while the general public can useit for assessing the state of the environment and the success of water management plans. Lastly, integrated SOERis also central to increasing public participation in the management of the environment, a factor essential to thesuccessful application of the ecosystems approach to water management.