Problem overview:

     Meeting information requirements: The State of Environment Report in Japan is being conducted a the local level to present data on environmental condition along with countermeasures towards abatement that local governments have taken. In addition to that, the Report has made adjustments to include considerations of environment and economic integratively so that there will be useful background information for decision-making.

Background in summary:

     Japan conducted the State of environment Report in 1962: Japan was the first country to issue the State of Environment Report at the local level in the Asian and Pacific region. Osaka city was the pioneer. It published the first report in Japan at local level in 1962.

     The style was to report environmental quality data and countermeasures: A typical style of those reports initially was to introduce firstly the state of pollution in local environment showing monitored data by items for which the ambient environmental quality standards were set and then to describe the countermeasures taken by the local government.

     Today the report style has changed to integrate policy considerations as well: However, the contents of the report have undergone considerable change over time (see accompanying table). Recently, these reports have started describing incentive and comprehensive policies reflecting the changed focus from conventional environmental pollution at local level to all embracing socially and economically implicated environmental policies at local, national as well as global levels.

Peer Review Committee Good practice rating: (1 for the best, 5 for the lowest score)
Sustainability		Efficiency
3	Improvement in either the environment of economic condition with no harm to the other.	2	Cost efficient.
2	Sustainable over time (not one-off)	Process
Adaptability		-	Participation of the community
3	Location adaptability (can the project be done in other places?)	-	Participation of resource owners/users
3	Socio-cultural adaptability.	-	Partnerships between various actors (Governments, NGO, Academia, Private)
2	Level of development adaptability.	-	Degree of coordination and cooperation between government departments.
2	Style of government adaptability.	-	Ability to attract political interest/support
3	Degree of decentralization adaptability.	-	Procedures for feedback and review.
Comments on this example:       Encouraging local level governments to monitor and develop environmental databases will Ensure the quality of the data Lower monitoring and data assembling costs Develop more appropriate countermeasures at the local level Encourage environmental awareness at the local level Promote better understanding of the eco-system dynamics to local governments and communities. Sustainability of the project:   Adaptability of the project to other situations:       Process of decision making and implementation:      Meeting information requirements: The change in the focus of the state of the environment report of Osaka City is an important reflection of the change in limited outlook from local environment to a wide perspective of interrelationships and linkages between local and global environment. Cost efficiency: