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SIMR - (State of Environment)
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| Description: | System for Indicator Management and Reporting - an on-line State of Environment system for the Antarctic. |
| Navigation: | |
| Application Group: | Environmental Impacts |
| Links to: | |
| Development Status: |
In production |
| Who's responsible: |
Proponet: Kim Finney |
| Languages used: | IDL, SVG, Cold Fusion |
| Relevant Programs |
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| What Data is already loaded | |
| Approximate cardinality of the main recordset | 40,000 |
Adaptation to Environmental ChangeTasks / FAQ's / News / Help messages / Glossary
FAQ
- assess the quality of the Antarctic environment
- identify threats (see below) to the Antarctic environment
- monitor the pressures we exert on it and track the impact and efficiency of our activities in the Antarctic.
- are data that summarise physical, chemical, biological or socio-economic factors which best represent the key elements of the environment
- are grouped into themes
What are the current threats to the Antarctic environment?
Permanent Stations
Antarctica is largely untouched with little or no evidence of human impact over vast regions. The scientific stations situated along the edge of the continent are associated with significant environmental problems.
Fisheries
Virtually all Antarctic life depends for its existence on the seas surrounding the continent. The Southern Ocean contains living resources potentially several times greater than the combined resources of all other fisheries. There is a long history of over-exploitation of Antarctic marine living resources, with consequent damage to the ecosystem. A number of species have become threatened by over-harvesting and illegal fishing, and others are vulnerable because of human intrusion into their habitat.
The impacts of Antarctic fishing are as yet poorly known, though it is likely that many of the species taken are long lived, making them more vulnerable to over harvesting. This could markedly alter the ecosystem in heavily fished areas. The question of by-catch is also important.
Changes in Climate
Studies in the Antarctic and around the world have shown that fluctuations, whether human induced or natural, in global weather patterns may have serious effects on the environment in Antarctica.
Tourism
Ecotourism in the Antarctic is increasing rapidly, but is generally well regulated, especially for the subantarctic islands. The potential for serious impact on sensitive areas, usually those most likely to attract tourists, is substantial.
Why are we interested in SOE reporting?
We're interested in State of the Environment Reporting because it allows us to:
How do we conduct SOE reporting?
State of the Environment Reporting is based on environmental. Indicators:
We have developed a web-accessible computer system called SIMR that manages and reports on the indicator data, metadata, and custodian information. This system has a public interface which permits interrogation of approved indicators and a restricted interface utilised by custodians to enter and maintain indicator information.
I don't understand how to set the scales in the evaluation entry - especially the State of Knowledge scale.
These scales are designed to provide a visual represenation of the State of the Environment. Each number on the scale has a corresponding colour, and the numbers range from 1-7. The pressure, condition and response scales are a measure of the pressure we're exerting on the environment, the condition of the environment, and the effort we're putting towards mitigating any environmental effects we may be causing. The State of Knowledge scale is an indication of how sure you are that the value you have assigned to the pressure/condition/response is reliable. For example a pressure value of 2 indicates a minimal environmental pressure, and a corresponding State of Knowledge value of 6 indicates that you are very confident in your pressure rating of 2.
Where can I find information about the governance framework for the Australian Antarctic Divisions SOE system, SIMR?
The governance framework is available as a pdf document.
How do I enter new data for my State of the Environment Indicator into the System for Indicator Management and Reporting?
To do this you will first of all need to be a custodian, or a designated data contributor. Simply log on and (if you are based at the Australian Antarctic Division, your user name and password will be the same as those for your general log on). The list of indicators you have access to will then be displayed. Simply click on the link for "Data Entry" to begin entering new data for your indicator.
How do I enter an evaluation for my State of the Environment Indicator?
See the answer to the question about data entry above. Instead of going to "Data Entry" though, you click on "Evaluation Entry" instead.
News
Technology Productivity Award for SIMR - 19-Sep-2003
A web-based State of the Environment reporting system, known as System for Indicator Management and Reporting (SIMR) and developed by the Data Centre has won a Government Technology Productivity Silver Award in Sydney.
Dataset Growth
The following graphs are plots versus time of the growth of the major content for this application.
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