M O R E T E L E M A T I C S
Earlier this summer, parts of Central Europe were again devastated by flooding. The damage caused in eastern Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic might have been avoided if sophisticated environmental warning systems had been installed. Recognized as "telematics," geographically distributed networks of automatic monitoring stations, sensors and analyzers are now being used to help monitor changes in water levels and deliver real-time monitoring data to local town administrations. During heavy rains this network can be relied upon to sound an early warning for evacuation and deliver this using a range of different media, from sirens to e-mail, and from newscasts to digital message boards.More advanced systems for flood-prone areas have already been developed under the European Commission's Telematics Application Programme (TAP). The EMAIL project, for example, tackles the issue of flood prevention by supporting decisionmakers with information in a multimedia format that serves as a platform for modeling, mapping, analysis and reporting.
Telematics applications are not limited to providing flood warnings. In the field of access to information, the TEMSIS project is involving the public in the decision-making process. Using discussion forums and message boards, authorities are now actively discussing developments or incidents with the public and inviting environmental viewpoints into the decision-making processes. As TEMSIS's Bernard Hoffmann argues, "applying advanced telecommunication technology to environmental problems strengthens the decision-making process and thus creates a considerable social impact."
The reason for developing such an application was clear, continues Hoffmann. "Citizen participation is required by national law, so citizens should be informed about projects and their environmental impacts. General interest in environmental problems has been increasing and citizens are now involved in the Agenda 21 process to support sustainable development," he said. And, in line with the Directive on Access to Environmental Information, "European citizens have the right to access information on any environmental issue without justifying their interest."
French and German authorities involved in TEMSIS have committed themselves to extending the financial support originally offered under TAP for the coming years.
REC has established a Telematics website detailing more such projects, which can be found at http://www.rec.org/REC/Programs/Telematics/DETERMINE. Or contact Jerome Simpson.