Content №3 от 2022
Environmental Information: Its Availability and Transparency for Analyzing Regional Environment
The availability, transparency, and quality of environmental information largely determine the quality of decisions made in the environmental sector, including those related to preventing the negative impact of environmental pollution on human health. Therefore, environmental data should be mainly kept in an open information space. This article examines the current state of environmental information from the standpoint of its availability and transparency and then identifies the critical problems in providing regional studies with data on environmental protection. We analyze why and to what extent it is difficult to provide information on the state of the environment in general and applied regional studies in particular. With an assessment of current legislative provision of environmental information, it is shown that the Law No. 39-FZ adopted in March 2021, which regulates the relations on providing citizens and organizations with environmental information, did not live up to expectations and, according to experts, will not lead to a noticeable improvement in the situation. Its weaknesses are noted and areas requiring further elaboration and refinement are highlighted.
