CIESIN is an international initiative that serves the needs for access to scientific, policy-making, educational data and information. CIESIN archives and disseminates data relevant to understanding human interactions with the environment. CIESIN services support interdisciplinary research and applications in key areas including global environmental change and sustainable development. CIESIN operates SEDAC, which provides a similar service for socio-economic data related to global change.
The CIESIN/SEDAC WWW site acts as both a host for original data and as a gateway to data held at organizations which are partners in its network of sites throughout the World. The site offers background information on these partners, descriptions of some of the major datasets held, applications to display data, and a searchable directory. These datasets are a mixture of statistical, directory, bibliographical, full text and GIS data.
Information service provided on the WWW site include:
(a) CIESIN Gateway: makes it possible to search for and retrieve data and metadata (data about data) available from CIESIN’s archives, CIESIN’s Information Cooperative Partners, NASA’s EOSDIS and Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). The gateway also allows simultaneous searches of a number of dataset catalogues held elsewhere. A description of the dataset is given, with contact information for accessing/ordering.
(b) Dataset Guides: descriptions of some of the datasets accessible through CIESIN’s Gateway (a more comprehensive listing, with shorter description, available through Gateway). They provide an overview of the dataset, and detailed information on access and content. The datasets are either CIESIN holdings, or holdings of CIESIN’s Information Cooperative Partners. These are searchable by subject, region, etc. The data is also presented arranged by organisation providing the data and by contributing country.
Guides include description of materials from: World Resources Institute (WRI), Hazardous Substance Release/Health Effects Database (HAZDAT), Environmental Subset of Collection of Multilateral Conventions from Fletcher School, TUFTS University (see separate entry), an UNCED Collection (see separate entry), Register of International Treaties and Other Agreements in the Field of the Environment (UNEP), EuroMab ACCESS (from UNESCO); Georeferenced Population Datasets of Mexico – CIESIN; Trends in Developing Economies (from World Bank); World Tables (from World Bank); Mortality Database (from WHO); IMAGE 2.0 (from RIVM), Global Population Data Base (from IPC), Caring for Earth (from IUCN); International Documentation Unit and Library of Indigenous Knowledge for Agriculture and Rural Development (from CIKARD).
(c) Thematic Guides: editorial essays, giving overviews of some of the key topics and issues related to human dimensions of global environmental change. The guides provide structure and direction, with interactive links to the full texts of journal articles, book sections and chapters, papers from proceedings, government reports, maps and images, and other relevant materials. Currently available guides include: Agriculture; Human Dimensions Research Programs; Human Health; Land Use; Ozone Depletion; Political Institutions and Global Environmental Change; Model visualisation and analysis for integrated assessment models of climate change.
(d) CIESIN Kiosk: an interactive forum that facilitates information-sharing. The goal is to promote dissemination and discussion of unpublished works, and to provide access to an “electronic bookshelf” of less accessible published literature. Documents arranged by subject and searchable by keyword.
(e) Policy Instruments Database (PIDB): full text, summary, status of treaties and other international agreements relating to environmental change (see separate entry)
(f) Visualization and analysis of Integrated Models of Climate Change: set of tools to make integrated assessment models and scenarios for climate change more easily accessible. Available via SEDAC
(g) Integrated population, land use and emissions data: integrated model using USA land and census data. Available via SEDAC
(h) Ulysses Cross Tabulation Engine: for USA Census Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS). Available via SEDAC.
(i) Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change (HDGEC) discussion list (see separate entry)
(j) Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators Service (ENTRI): searchable database containing international environmental treaties, treaty summaries, ratification status and natural resource indicators