1. Indicator

(a) Name: Main telephone lines per 100 inhabitants.
(b) Brief Definition: The indicator is derived by dividing the number of main telephone lines in operation by the population and multiplying by 100.
(c) Unit of Measurement: Measured as the % of population with a telephone line.

2. Placement in the Framework

(a) Agenda 21: Chapter 40: Information for Decision Making.
(b) Type of Indicator: State.

3. Significance (Policy Relevance)

(a) Purpose: This indicator is the broadest and most common measurement of the degree of telecommunication development in a country.

(b) Relevance to Sustainable/Unsustainable Development: The policy relevance of this indicator is that telecommunications and social, economic, and institutional development are closely linked. Modern communications is considered to be relatively benign to the environment. There is unlikely to be sustainable development without a well-developed communications infrastructure. Communications is critical to support sustainable development.

(c) Linkages to Other Indicators: The linkages between this indicator and other sustainable development indicators are many. For instance, a well-developed communication infrastructure will reduce the need for transport with beneficial effects on the environment. Another example is the requirement of telecommunications for the innovative delivery of health and educational services. Yet another example is the potential of telecommunications for reducing economic and social gaps within an economy and assisting to reduce the need for urbanization. Access to telecommunications provides those in rural and remote areas with contact to the outside world, reducing their sense of isolation and providing them with a tool to improve economic, social and cultural awareness.

(d) Targets: Not available.

(e) International Conventions and Agreements: Not available.

4. Methodological Description and Underlying Definitions

(a) Underlying Definitions and Concepts: The definition of a main telephone line is a telephone line connecting the subscriber's terminal equipment to the public switched network and which has a dedicated port in the telephone exchange equipment. This term is synonymous with the term "main station" or "Direct Exchange Line" (DEL) which are commonly used in telecommunication documents.

(b) Measurement Methods: The indicator is derived by dividing the number of main telephone lines in operation by the population and multiplying by 100.

(c) The Indicator in the DSR Framework: The number of main telephone lines is to be placed in the State category of the DSR framework.

(d) Limitations of the Indicator: There is concern that main lines per 100 inhabitants does not always accurately reflect the degree of telecommunications development. First, there are other indicators of telecommunication development such as data network subscribers or mobile telephone subscribers. Second, main lines on a country level does not indicate the breakdown of the distribution of lines into business or residential or urban and rural although this disaggregated information is available. The indicator provides no measure of the quality or reliability of the telephone service.

(e) Alternative Definitions: If accessibility is a main interest, then the number of households with telephone service may be more relevant especially for countries which have large households.

5. Assessment of the Availability of Data from International and National Sources

(a) Data Needed to Compile the Indicator: The data needed to compile the indicator are main lines and population.

(b) Data Availability: The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) collects this information on an annual basis for over 200 economies. Data are available for 1960, 1965, 1970, and annually from 1975 onwards. Population data is widely available from UN agencies. The ITU calculates main lines per 100 inhabitants based on population data from the World Bank.

(c) Data Sources: The ITU is the standard source for main telephone lines.

6. Agencies Involved in the Development of the Indicator

(a) Lead Agency: The lead agency responsible for collecting and defining the indicator is the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The contact point is the Head, Information Systems Unit, ITU; fax no. (41 22) 730 6449.

(b) Other Organizations: The ITU disseminates this data to numerous agencies including: the World Bank, the United Nations including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and Eurostat.

7. Further Information

(a) Further Readings:

Definitions, methodology and other information regarding telecommunication indicators can be found in the ITU's Telecommunication Indicator Handbook.

(b) Other References:

Application of the indicator including country data can be found in the ITU's World Telecommunication Development Report. The data are also provided by the ITU to other agencies and appear in the following publications: UN Statistical Yearbook, World Bank World Development Report, UNDP Human Development Report, OECD Communication Outlook and Aerostat Communications Statistics.

 

ACCESS TO INFORMATION
Institutional	Chapters 40	State

1. Indicator

(a) Name: Access to information.
(b) Brief Definition: The quantity and variety of newspapers per 100 inhabitants that are printed and dispersed throughout each country.
(c) Unit of Measurement: No. of newspapers.

2. Placement in the Framework

(a) Agenda 21: Chapter 40: Information for Decision Making.
(b) Type of Indicator: State.

3. Significance (Policy Relevance)

(a) Purpose: The higher the number of newspapers printed and dispersed in a country , the wider the range of information that the public can choose from and have access to. Consequently, better-informed citizens are more likely to be committed to the goals of sustainable development strategies, and more able to participate in issues that are relevant to them.

(b) Relevance to Sustainable/Unsustainable Development: Chapter 36 in Agenda 21 states: "There is a need to increase public sensitivity to environment and development problems and involvement in their solutions and foster a sense of personal environmental responsibility and greater motivation and commitment towards sustainable development." Furthermore, the following statement occurs in Chapter 40: "In sustainable development, everyone is a user and provider of information considered in the broad sense. That includes data, information, appropriately packaged experience and knowledge. The need for information arises at all levels, from that of senior decision-makers at the national and international levels to the grass-roots and individual levels."

Gaining insight in the access to information people have helps to reveal their reasons for not participating in the process of sustainable development. Once the areas where information is not easily accessible are identified, a response policy can be developed in order to secure the dispersion of information more equally.

(c) Linkages to Other Indicators: This indicator is closely linked to the indicator on adult literacy rates, and number of main telephone lines per 100 inhabitants.

(d) Targets: There are no international targets for this indictor, but there is an aggregate figure for newspaper circulation in the United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Report. This figure is 4 for developing countries and 30 for industrial countries.

(e) International Conventions and Agreements: No conventions or agreements apply.

4. Methodological Description and Underlying Definitions

(a) Underlying Definitions and Concepts: Not available.

(b) Measurement Methods: Counting the number of different newspapers that is daily printed and dispersed throughout country; and counting the number of daily newspapers available per 100 people in each country.

(c) The Indicator in the DSR Framework: This indicator is an institutional Response in the DSR Framework.

(d) Limitations of the Indicator: This indicator is best understood within the context of other indicators related to access to information, for example: the number of radios and televisions per 100 people of the population; or the number of registered library users as a proportion of the population.

(e) Alternative Definitions: Not available.

5. Assessment of the Availability of Data from International and National Sources

(a) Data Needed to Compile the Indicator: Data on the number of newspaper copies per 100 people; and data on the variety of newspapers printed in each country.

(b) Data Availability: The data are available for most countries.

(c) Data Sources: Data on newspaper circulation are available in the Human Development Report, annually published by the UNDP, as well as in the annual publication of the World Bank Social Indicators of Development. Data on the variety of newspapers in each country are available in the annual Benn's Media.

6. Agencies Involved in the Development of the Indicator

(a) Lead Agency: The lead agency is The New Economics Foundation, with the following contact point: Indicators Programme Coordinator, fax no. (44 171) 377 5720.

(b) Other Organizations: Other organizations include UNDP and the World Bank.

7. Further Information

UNDP. Human Development Report. 1993.

 

PROGRAMMES FOR NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL STATISTICS
Institutional	Chapter 40	Response

1. Indicator

(a) Name: Programmes for national environmental statistics.
(b) Brief Definition: Programme for the development and compilation of environment statistics, leading to the regular publication of a state of the environment report and/or a compendium of environment statistics.
(c) Unit of Measurement: Yes/no.

2. Placement in the Framework

(a) Agenda 21: Chapter 40: Information for Decision Making.
(b) Type of Indicator: Response.

3. Significance (Policy Relevance)

(a) Purpose: Existence of a programme signifies a country's commitment to developing

environment statistics for use in national level policy formulation and analysis.

(b) Relevance to Sustainable/Unsustainable Development: Statistics provide the basic environmental information for policy makers for decision-making on environmental issues. While considerable data already exist, more data and integrated data are needed on the status and trends of the earth's ecosystems, its natural resources, pollution and related socioeconomic variables at all levels of decision making. Limitations related to the availability, quality, coherence, standardization, and accessibility of data seriously impairs informed sustainable development decisions. In many countries and regions there is a lack in the capacity to collect and assess data, and transform them into useful information for dissemination.

(c) Linkages to Other Indicators: This indicator is closely related to other measures related to the provision and communication of information, including access to information, and telephone lines per 100 inhabitants.

(d) Targets: No targets apply to this indicator.

(e) International Conventions and Agreements: Not available.

4. Methodological Description and Underlying Definitions

(a) Underlying Definitions and Concepts: Some countries which compile environment statistics have applied the United Nations' Framework for the Development of Environmental Statistics (FDES). Other countries may use different frameworks in their environment statistics programmes.

(b) Measurement Methods: This is a yes/no indicator; therefore, there is no actual measurement involved but just an indication of the existence of a programme.

(c) The Indicator in the DSR Framework: This indicator provides information about the actual implementation of a programme based on the regular publication of a state of the environment report and/or a compendium of environment statistics. It is an institutional Response indicator in the DSR Framework.

(d) Limitations of the Indicator: Environment statistics are interdisciplinary and their sources dispersed; therefore, the lack of a programme does not necessarily mean that statistics are not available. This indicator only provides information on the existence of an environmental statistics program; no information is given on the quality or scope of the program.

(e) Alternative Definitions: Additional sub-measures could be added to make the indicator more meaningful, including the existence of national compendia of environmental statistics, state of the environment reporting, and/or a program to develop and disseminate environmental indicators.

5. Assessment of the Availability of Data from International and National Sources

National governments are primarily responsible for the establishment of environment statistics programmes. Information about the existence of a programme is available for many countries from national governments, primarily national statistical services, and environmental ministries or agencies. Several international, inter-governmental, non-governmental and regional organizations are also involved in the implementation of environment statistics programmes in countries.

6. Agencies Involved in the Development of the Indicator

The lead agency is the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Information and Policy Analysis (DESIPA). The contact point is the Director, Statistics Division, DESIPA; fax

no. (1 212) 963 9851.

7. Further Information

The FDES was endorsed by the Statistical Commission of the United Nations in 1985 as a technical report.