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A survey carried out by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in 1992 on the
need for a national environmental database indicated widespread support for the
idea. Most respondents favoured a joint undertaking between Government and
other organisations; of these, 82% favoured some form of collaboration involving
the University.  The need for anational environmental database has been identified
so often in the past but nothing has yet materialised, although the Department of
Natural Resources is currently implementing an Integrated Resource Information
System (IRIS) which will go some way towards meeting this need.

Database development cannot proceed independently of a systematic monitoring
programme designed to provide accurate and timely data on key components and
processes of the environmental system concern.  The medium-term strategy of the
Database Development Service is:

• To provide information on the location and accessibility of environmental data
  (a meta-database)
• To develop, where necessary, databases, especially on subjects not covered
  by existing initiatives.
• To identify gaps and potential overlaps in environmental monitoring
  programmes, and the data needed to fill these gaps and address emerging environmental problems.
• To initiate a study of the potential of databases and Geographical
  Information Systems for urban and rural development

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