Abstract

  The success of an ecosystems approach to river basin management depends greatly on the integration of a wide range of information concerning the various components of the ecosystem, the formulation of realistic solutions 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. The ecosystems approach is critical to the St. Lawrence Action Plan, a Canadian program which focuses on the protection and conservation of the St. Lawrence River. The St. Lawrence Centre of Environment Canada not only acts as a catalyst in developing environmental partnerships among segments of the population, but synthesizes the results of these collective efforts. Its detailed evaluations on the state of the river environment perhaps best illustrate the nature of this task, because these reports must meet the particular environmental informational needs of many target audiences, which range from the general public to corporate decision-makers. SOER's practical nature facilitates the collection of data and the establishment of analysis targets and SOE indicators used in environmental monitoring. The integrated S0ER 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 major objectives: (1) information and education; (2) trend analysis and prediction; and (3) influence, Integrated SOER can be a powerful tool: decision-makers will find it useful for designing action plans, while the general public can use it for assessing the state of the environment and the success of water management plans. Lastly, integrated SOER is also central to increasing public participation in the management of the environment, a factor essential to the successful application of the ecosystems approach to water management.

Keywords: state-of-environment reporting, information, decision-making, integration, resource                  management