Organisational and technical aspects of the water information system in Slovenia Lidija Globevnik, Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia Stanka Koren, Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia WORKSHOP OF WATER INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR EUROPE (WISE) 12 November 2008, Paris

Organisational aspects of water informatics in Slovenia: Governmental Bodies issue in close relation to waters no.of govern. bodies managing information in close relation to waters Ministry of Finance water pricing, environmental taxes   Ministry of the Interior Ministry of Foreign Affairs international cooperation in water management Ministry of Justice implementation of penal sanctions Ministry of Defence protection against natural and other disasters 1 Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs Ministry of the Economy economical development, energy, tourism Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food fisheries, irrigation, drainage, plant protection products, fertilisers 4 Ministry of Culture Ministry of the Environment and  Spatial Planning water management, nature and biodiversity, environmental impact assessment; spatial planning 6 (1 body with 12 subsystems) inistry of Transport water pollution and flood prevention and control by/of highways Ministry of Education and Sport education, recreation and sports on waters Ministry of Health drinking water quality, bathing water quality 1 (2 systems) Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology research, higher education Ministry of Public Administration   public administration, salary system in the public sector, administrative processes Statistical Office annual stastistics on environment- water thematic area (Eurostat) ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY)

Water Informatics at Ministry of the Environment and  Spatial Planning - 6 bodies collect/produce and store data&information closely related to water - 5 bodies deposit data&information into ENVIRONMENTAL INFO SYSTEM: ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY) Institute for Water of RS Geological Survey Institute Institute for Nature Protection

Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia: (WATER INFORMATICS) From 2003 on: technical support for WFD implementation in Slovenia (Art. 3, 5, 13) Permanently: flood mapping, conceptual projects for flood protection, technical support to env. ministry for water rights licensing From 1998-2001: Phare Topic Link to ETCW (Eurowaternet development in Phare countries) From 2007 on: partner in ETCW consortium (EEA river quality data collection and data base management, WISE data model, WISE Map Viewer support, CSI 019 and CSI022 indicators assessment, support for reporting for Bathing Water Directive, water ecology reports,

Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia: 64 GIS layers in the info system 44 layers with information related to water and used for WFD art 3, 5, 6, 13 20 layers: support layers (administrative borders, number of inhabitants, land use,...)....imported from other systems 10 layers produced and maintained by IWRS (updating); they are deposited into Environmental Information System

Environmental Agency of Republic of Slovenia – (ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION SYSTEM) web page: “Water” Section Environmental Atlas - GIS WEB service - Eionet in Slovenia

regular information under section “water” Environmental Agency of Republic of Slovenia – (ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION SYSTEM) web page: regular information under section “water”

Environmental Agency of Republic of Slovenia – (ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION SYSTEM) Environmental Atlas : monitoring - WATER WATERS

Environmental Atlas – WATER SECTION, FLOODS: Environmental Agency of Republic of Slovenia – (ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION SYSTEM) Environmental Atlas – WATER SECTION, FLOODS:

Environmental Agency of Republic of Slovenia – LIST OF DATA BASES at the Agency data base of the MONITORING programme of quality of water/rivers, lakes, transitional, coastal, sea, groundwater and REPORTING for EEA SoE (Waterbase) data base of the MONITORING programme of quantity of water/rivers, levels of lakes, coastal, groundwater REPORTING for EEA SoE (Waterbase) data base of the MONITORING of meteorological/climate parameters data base of the MONITORING of snow landsliding data base of MONITORING programme of BWD (Bathing water directive) and for the REPORTING for BWD data bases/information for the REPORTING for WFD/DWD/GWD data bases/information for the REPORTING for UWWTD data bases/information for the REPORTING for IPPCD data bases/information for the REPORTING for ND data base of water rights and permits for use of water and activities on waters data base of water infrastructure (objects on waters) data base of environmental permit system EIONET-SI info system (WISE SoE reporting, national indicators assessment for national SoE reports)

Environmental Agency of Republic of Slovenia– The formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution, which may be merely of mathemathical or experimental skill (Einstein, 1938) Environmental Agency of Republic of Slovenia– 9 working groups + 6 responsible persons in the field of water informatics 5 “outside” data suppliers (chemical, biological monitoring of surface water; chemical monitoring of groundwater; bathing waters quality for 20 sites; WFD elements; drinking water quality) for UWWTD and IPPCD reporting: data from individual polluters

The formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution, which may be merely of mathemathical or experimental skill (Einstein, 1938) Environmental Agency of Republic of Slovenia– Issues in the field of data&information flow: personal/institutional attachment to data and information “produced” at the Agency integration of different databases not automatic/systematic; operational mostly by personal contacts between employess integrated analysis of “numerical/string” data operational for SoE reports, reporting for European institutions efficient: Environmental Atlas: integration of “spatial” data (common paltforma, unique geo-referenced system) not so efficient: integrated analysis of “numerical/string” and “spatial” data as a support for decision making process not so efficient: integration of data and information from other national institutions

National level – Problems with data&information flow ( example: AT IWRS for WFD needs- analysis, reports, technial background studies for political decisions...)m “expert” WATER INFORMATION SYSTEM

CONCLUSIONS: Problems in building integrated digital environmental/water information system at national level: - weak spatial integrity and georeferencing of objects of some data bases - missing data dictionaries (meta descriptins of fields, history) (DD) weakly defined working processes for updating of data bases missing responsibility for mantenance of some data bases weak knowledge of legal basis for data/information collection and reporting un-trust and weak collaboration between institutions underestimated human resources needs long time needed that “raw data” are processed into an “offical” data base preference to share aggregated data and not raw data weak collaboration between experts that work on info - technical and content issues HOW can we benefit from WISE system: use the same data dictionary system as WISE learn from WISE how to deal with responsibility, working processes and legal issues collaborate with WISE system to build trust and confidence