Environmental Data
What is it?
Simply put, environmental data is information about the natural and built environment, including, but not limited to:
- Air, water, or soil quality datasets
- Weather event and climate data
- Agricultural data
- Observational data and accounts of lived experiences
- Satellite images and photographs
- Geospatial data and maps
- Conservation data, such as population or ecosystem health data
- Demographic and human health data
- Environmental compliance and regulatory data
Communities around the world are collecting, using, and interacting with these types of data in different ways on a daily basis.
Environmental data can be used in a variety of ways, including:
- Sensemaking and engagement
- Education
- #Research
- #Management and community planning
- Regulatory and other policy decisions
- Enforcement
Why does it matter?
Environmental data is instrumental to people who are trying to understand the world around them, teach others, and take action. It can be useful to researchers, as well as government agencies and staff. It supports advocacy groups in providing evidence for claims of pollution or climate change, providing information that can hold both industry and government accountable.
Yet oftentimes, it is difficult for this data to be used in ways that unlock its vast benefits. Current incentives, standards, rules, and regulations related to environmental data are not always workable for communities collecting and using data, nor for government actors who could use this data to better inform policy and decision making.
Communities can use different types of tools to reach their goals with environmental data in responsible and effective ways. Data governance can support responsible decision making, management, and sharing of data, while data visualizations can support clear communication in advocacy efforts.
Mentioned and additional resources:
- For more on the spectrum of uses for environmental data and the barriers faced by data stewards, see The Environmental Data Maze.
- For more of EPA’s recommendations on community science, see A Vision for Citizen Science at EPA.
- For more on how we can utilize data as a tool, see Data Usability: The Forgotten Segment of Environmental Data Workflows.
- For more on how the EPA supports participatory science, see Participatory Science for Environmental Protection.