Ottawa, 13 December 2011—Environmental information collected by the federal government supports everyday decisions by Canadians, from farmers and pilots using weather information to public health officials who issue air quality advisories, says Scott Vaughan, federal Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, in a study tabled today in Parliament. The study describes the key systems the government uses to monitor the state of the environment and outlines related challenges and good practices.
“Environmental monitoring is necessary to know whether the quality of our environment is getting better or worse,” said Mr. Vaughan. “The information the government collects serves many users, including municipal planners, resource managers, and Canadian families.”
The study identified over 90 environmental monitoring systems that provide Canadians with information about local weather, air and water quality, migratory birds, fish stocks, and the ecology of national parks, for example.
The study notes that successful environmental monitoring systems are well coordinated with other systems, involve the right stakeholders, have controls to ensure the reliability of information, and use resources efficiently.
This chapter is a study, not an audit report. As such, it is descriptive and does not assess the federal government’s current practices or performance.
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The chapter “A Study of Environmental Monitoring” is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.
