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Overview

The objective of this module is to introduce the integrated environmental
assessment (IEA) and reporting approach based on the Global Environment
Module
1 Outlook (GEO) Process of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
You will learn why the IEA approach is an effective way of developing policy
relevant recommendations about the state of the environment and its interaction
with human development.

We begin with a short description of UNEP, its mandate from the United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for keeping the global environment under
review, and how the GEO process fulfils this mandate. The goal of the GEO
process is to ensure that environmental problems and emerging issues of wide
international significance receive appropriate, adequate and timely consideration
by governments and other stakeholders. As part of the GEO initiative, UNEP is
involved in capacity building to help people learn how to carry out integrated

environmental assessments at the regional, sub-regional and also national levels.

An IEA is much broader than a traditional state of the environment (SoE) report.
It expands on a SoE report by undertaking a critical objective evaluation and
analysis of data and information designed to meet user needs and support
decision making. It applies the judgment of experts to existing knowledge to
provide scientifically credible answers to policy relevant questions. This provides
a participatory, structured approach to linking knowledge and action. Over
time, GEO has developed an increasingly integrated approach to environmental

assessment and reporting. It asks the following questions:

? What is happening to the environment and why?
? What are the consequences for the environment and humanity?

? What is being done and how effective is it?

? Where are we heading? and

? What actions could be taken for a more sustainable future?

4 The GEO Approach to Integrated Environmental Assessment