• AN INDICATOR:
– is an element of description that meets a specific a set of conditions,
– does not provide information about the causes of the problem,
– allows comparisons to be established between
different situations or between different moments in time.
Posterior studies adopting a holistic approach are required in order to to identify the causes of observed problems and establish possible solutions and strategies.
• THE USE OF INDICATORS
INDICATORS CAN BE USED
– in management,
– in research,
– for educational purposes,
– for motivation,
– as planning tools,
– for decision-making,
– for evaluating the development of projects.
• TYPES OF INDICATORS
INDICATORS CAN BE
– pressure or stress (P) indicators,
– state or composition (S) indicators,
– response (R) indicators,
The DPSIR scheme (OCDE & UNCSD) makes it possible to organize information relating to the state of the medium and in particular to organize indicator systems within the context of the medium in question and to subsequently promote sustainable development:
– driving forces (D) responsible for changes to the medium (e.g. industrial
production),
– pressures (P) affecting the medium (e.g. wastewater discharges),
– state (S) of the medium (e.g. river water quality)
– iimpacts (I) on the population, economy, ecosystems (e.g. potability of water),
– response (R) of society (e.g. protection of river basins).
• CRITERIA FOR SELECTING INDICATORS
WHEN SELECTING INDICATORS IT IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT:
– policy relevance,
– analytical soundness,
– ease of interpretation,
– the availability of data and/or price of obtaining it.
• NATURE OF THE INDICATORS
DEPENDING ON THEIR NATURE, INDICATORS MAY BE
– physical,
– biological,,
– ecological,,
– social,
– economic.
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