Indicators: An Introduction
The production of indicators is a fast developing activity in environmental and economic studies. The starting point began after the Rio conference in 1992, when awareness of worldwide environmental degradation became widespread. At the same time, the conditions needed to achieve sustainable development had to consider the complexity of the different systems involved, including ecosystems. To allow laymen to understand the idea, and the information related to the concept of sustainable development, it was proposed to build simple measurements of complex entities, these measurements were identified as Indicators.
The international action plan ‘Agenda 21’ urges that “indicators of sustainable development need to be developed to provide solid bases for decision-making at all levels” (UNCED, 1992, Chapter 40). The concept was almost as successful as the one of sustainable development, and the production of various indicators sharply increased in many different areas. Now the use of indicators is recognized as an efficient tool of communication for the wider audience, particularly in the field of sustainability
Indicators: a definition
Various definitions were proposed for indicators, for different domains and audiences. The use of indicators within ECASA the definition should be narrowed to allow representation of scientific, social and economic data. Gallopin (1997) gives an operational definition of an indicator as “An operational representation of an attribute (quality, characteristics, property) of a system”. This practical view fits well with the operational aspects of the ECASA programme. It is proposed that this should be retained as a valid definition of an indicator in the scope of ECASA activities. An operational representation implies that indicators should be simple to understand and easy to communicate. Other important properties of indicators are detailed below.
Why use indicators in assessing the environmental impact of marine aquaculture? The ecosystem approach
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies are now conducted with a broader view. When assessing an activity for potential impacts, the spatial aspects, while of primary importance, should not be the only facet to be addressed. The activity may result in far-field damages. Also the damages may not only affect the different characteristics of the fauna and flora and the environment, it may interfere with the functioning and even the structure of the ecosystem within which the activity is conducted. Therefore to assess these intricate and often subtle changes requires the use complex measurements. These measurements may be translated into a simple concept by the use of indicators. As ECASA retains the primary objective of following an Ecosystem Approach, the indicators used are a reflection of the complexity of the ecosystems involved.
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ECASA methodology for the selection of indicators
The use of indicators: threshold and value
Reference.
Gallopin, G.C. (19970. Indicators and their use: Information for decision making. In Sustainability Indicators: A Report on the Project on Indicators of Sustainable Development. Eds B. Moldan, S. Bilharz and R. Matravers.Pp. 13-27. John Wiley.
