Māris kļaviņŠ, azamat azizov, JĀnis zaļoksnis environment, pollution, development: the case of uzbekistan

 11.5.2.  Determination of environmental problems and 
their causes
Environ mental information has a major role in environ mental 
po 
licy Development and environ 
mental management system 
operation. This information comprises knowledge and data obtained 
through environ mental studies, statistical information, long-term and 
systematic observations of the environ ment, society and its activities. 
Environ mental information consists of the observational data, whose 
gathering, processing, analysis and interpretation make the facts 
describing the processes in the environ ment and society. Environ-
mental information should enlighten the scientists, politicians and 
persons working in environ mental management, so that they would 
be  able  to  make  the  correct  policy  decisions  –  i.e.  matching  the 
actual  situation  and  the  environ mental  challenges  in  the  region  – 
and to make well-founded and rational environ mental protection 
and  management  measures.  An  important  task  of  environ mental 
information is to identify environ mental problems before starting the 
processes that may threaten the environ ment quality. The efficiency 

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11. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: LEGISLATION, POLICIES, INSTITUTIONS
 253
of environ mental policy and management is dependent on the 
completeness and quality of environ mental information.
In the context of good management provision, it is important 
that citizens have access to the Internet, enabling them to follow 
the activities of the state government, local government and non-
governmental organisations and business processes as well as to 
engage in discussions and decision-making process by sending 
their opinions and recommendations to relevant authorities in an 
electronic form.
Environ mental information cannot be restricted access infor-
mation – it should be public. The public is entitled to have en vi ron-
men tal information on
 
Š
environmental situation, including information on water, air, 
soil and subsoil, flora, fauna, natural areas and landscapes, 
biodiversity, species and habitats and their interactions, as 
well as information on genetically modified organisms;
 
Š
anthropogenic  pressures  and  activities  that  affect  or  may 
affect the environment;
 
Š
environmental  protection  measures  affecting  the  environ-
ment;
 
Š
reviews and reports on environmental protection, policy 
planning documents in the field of the environment, laws and 
activities  affecting  the  environment,  cost-benefit  analysis, 
economic analysis reports in relation to the implementation 
of environmental policy.
EMEP (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme) is a 
scientifically-based policy-driven programme under the Convention 
on  Long-range  Transboundary  Air  Pollution  for  international  co-
operation to solve transboundary air pollution problems.
If a decision on a vision is taken, it is necessary to clarify the 
specific  environ mental  problems.  There  are  several  methods  that 
can be used for collecting and processing information in order to 
ascertain the real problem and its scope. The collection of data on 
certain parameters to assess the root of an environ mental problem is 
of particular importance. The process should move on in such a way 
that the degree of its complexity would be acceptable to the public – 
from a highly sophisticated computer programme to a brainstorming 
session on local environ mental issues that people know well enough.
Even a small summary of data may give a hint regarding the 
current situation in a district, across the country, the EU Member 
States or the world at large. Such information can also be obtained 
from the European Environ ment Agency, the statistical bureaus and 
municipal authorities of the EU Member States.
The  data  shown  in  Figure 11.6  predict  a  reduction  in  this 
metric  of  approximately  2  µg/m
3 
or more per year in central and 

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254 
ENVIRONMENT, POLLUTION, DEVELOPMENT:  THE CASE OF UZBEKISTAN
north-western Europe. Smaller reductions are predicted outside this 
region (Spain, Balkan countries, the Baltic and the Nordic countries).
60°
50°
40°
30°
30°
20°
20°
10°
10°
0°
0°
-10°
-20°
-30°
60°
60°
50°
50°
40°
40°
0
500
1000
1500 Km
Ozone – mean of
10 highest maximum
daily values in IV–IX
Reference years: 
1995–2005 
Indicator: 
estimated trend
EMEP model   
< – 2 
– 2 to – 1
– 1 to 0 
0 to 1 
1 to 2 
> 2  
Countries 
excluded
from study 
It is very difficult to carry out in practice a complete, objective 
analysis, covering all environ mental problems, without delimiting 
the research scope. Any observer is more or less subjective, and any 
perception is influenced by the manner in which an observation or 
measurement is made. Nevertheless, a relative objectivity can be 
achieved.
Some method of objective analysis could apply to a particular 
component  of  the  environ ment,  such  as  water,  or  to  a  specific 
pollutant. In the case of subjective analysis, the opinions of the 
society and citizens as to what they perceive as environ mental 
problems  are  ascertained.  Although  this  type  of  information  does 
not give a complete picture, because the respondents usually do 
not mention problems that cannot be seen or felt, it may give some 
direction where to look for the environ mental damage. One example 
is the noise. The perception of noise as a problem can be very 
different. The noise that is loud according to physical measurements,