Environmental Quality Indicators: where to from here

Environmental or land quality indicators are being developed internationally as a means whereby the 'State of the Environment' (SoE) can be assessed and trends monitored. In Australia, the use of indicators in SoE reporting is in its early stages of development. Indicators have been developed, in relation to agriculture, for flora and fauna, soil, chemical contamination, surface waters and groundwater. Internationally, the World Bank has listed 'indicators of pressure' on the land, 'indicators of state and impact: and 'indicators of response' for each of seven major issues of land degradation. Late in 1996, an 'indicators of catchment health' workshop in Australia identified a relatively small number of key indicators relating to farm productivity, soil health, water quality and 'landscape integrity: later adding social indicators, and also distinguishing between indicators at farm and catchment scales. A broad range of other indicators was also considered by various participants in the workshop, which concluded by supporting a nationally co-ordinated effort and the establishment of a national steering committee. Although most indicators are static measures, those from which predictions can be made require a greater emphasis on the functioning of the system. This implies that indicators are only one aspect of system modelling, and that environmental or land assessment needs to progress further than the search for quality indicators. Since this involves both biophysical and human processes, geographers should be playing a central role.