March 30, 2005
In order to fully understand environmental problems and take effective measures, data that reflect the state of the environment objectively must be accumulated and utilized. Ministry of the Environment published Environmental Statistics 2005, a publication that provides data gathered from a wide range of perspectives, including the state of the environment, environmental load and the measures taken to tackle environmental problems.
The publication presents all data in tables, not in graphs or diagrams, using quantitative information to facilitate use by government offices, industries, and research institutions. Special consideration was given during compilation to include (i) data showing secular changes, (ii) detailed type-specific data, and (iii) region-specific data (by prefecture or country).
The data were collected from a wide range of areas, not only to focus on the current situation but also to shed light on the various activities that cause environmental problems and to track the implementation of environmental conservation measures. Specifically, in line with the outcomes of activities on environmental indicators by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), the data are compiled in three categories; 1 ) D index (driving force ) stands for human activities and environmental load, 2) S index (state ) stands for environmental state, and 3 )R index (response ) stands for social measures. They reflect a concept which apprehend the environmental problems as a cycle of human activities, load, state and countermeasures
Environmental Statistics 2005 is organized into nine chapters namely; economy and society, global warming, material cycle, atmospheric environment, water environment, chemical substances, natural environment, global environment and environmental measures.
Environmental Statistics 2005 will be available (in Japanese) at the web page of the Ministry of the Environment. The publication (available in Japanese only) is on sale at a price of 2,100 yen per copy. To order, please call the Sales Department of Gyosei (publishing company) at +81-(0)3-5349-6654 or send a facsimile to +81-(0)3-5349-6677.
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