Needs assessment of environmental statistics in the selected European and Central Asian countries: data quality and reliability

Nader Motie Haghshenas, National Institute of Population Research, Iran
Mohammad Mirzaie, University of Tehran
Arezou Sayadi, Regional Center for Population Research and Studies in Asia and the Pacific

Environmental indicators provide a measure of existing and expected pressure on the Environment. The main aim of this paper is to highlight and identify needs of environmental statistics, by using data based on environmental indicators in the selected European countries comparing with Central Asian countries at the international publications. Data on environmental statistics are mainly taken from the Statistical Yearbooks for the selected European and central Asian countries, 1995-2012. In addition, we used the international organization databank (Such as UN, ESCAP, OECD, EUROSTAT, World Bank) for certain years .The research is carried out on documentary method and is based on a comparative approach. The selected indicators based on sufficient time-series data are used to answer the question that do countries with different historical experiences and development levels manifest similar quality and body of environmental data producing at the international level? According to Kaufman theory on needs, needs assessment is a process for determining and addressing needs, or "gaps" between current conditions and desired conditions. All indicators are presented in an agreed format to support their practical application in the studied countries. It should be kept in mind that definitions and measurement methods vary among countries, and that inter-country comparisons require careful interpretation. But since indicators presented in this paper refer to both national and international level, we follow the comparison among environmental statistics of studied countries as well. It involves identifying material weaknesses and strengths, and evaluating possible solutions that take those qualities into consideration by national and international authorities.