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Introduction to maESTro
Directory of
Environmentally Sound Technologies (ESTs)
Robert Rodriguez, Information Network Officer, UNEP-IETC
UNEP IETC Shiga Office, 1091 Oroshimo-cho, Kusatsu City, Shiga
525-0001, Japan
Tel: +81-77-568-4580, Fax: +81-77-568-4587,
URL <http://www.unep.or.jp> e-mail
maestro@unep.or.jp
1. UNEP International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC)
IETC's main role is to promote the adoption and use of Environmentally Sound
Technologies (ESTs) to address urban environmental problems, such as sewage, air
pollution, solid waste and noise, and the management of freshwater basins in
developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
2. Definition of ESTs
Environmentally Sound Technologies (ESTs) encompass technologies that have
the potential for significantly improved environmental performance relative to
other technologies. Broadly speaking, these technologies protect the
environment, are less polluting, use resources in a sustainable manner, recycle
more of their wastes and products, and handle all residual wastes in a more
environmentally acceptable way than the technologies for which they are
substitutes.
Furthermore, as argued in Chapter 34 of Agenda 21, ESTs are not just
"individual technologies, but total systems which include know-how, procedures,
goods and services, and equipment as well as organisational and managerial
procedures". Consequently, when considering technology promotion, IETC's
approach incorporates both the human resource development (including gender
relevant issues) and local capacity building aspects of technology choices. ESTs
should also be compatible with nationally determined socio-economic, cultural
and environmental priorities and development goals.
Information on ESTs, however, is often hard to obtain in a standardized,
user-friendly format. To help solving this problem, IETC created a searchable
electronic EST-directory, called maESTro.
1. What is maESTro?
maESTro is an information tool which contains information on a full range of
environmentally sound technologies, institutions and information sources related
to water pollution, environmental management, human settlements, hazardous
substances, solid waste, wastewater, water augmentation and more. The
information is regularly updated by IETC as well as by EST contributors,
individual users, organisations and institutions.
maESTro was first developed as a database to disseminate free of charge
information on Environmentally Sound Technologies (ESTs) on floppy diskettes,
CD-ROMs and report (hard-copy format). In March 1998, in response to maESTro
users’ request, IETC decided to further develop maESTro on the worldwide web so
that people can access those information through the Internet. The newly
developed web-maESTro can be found at the “Searchable EST Directory” on IETC’s
homepage (http://www.unep.or.jp/).
2. EST Contributors
Since 1996, maESTro has been honored to collaborate with numerous government
ministries, including the Ministry of Environment in New Zealand, the Ministry
of Nature & Environment in Mongolia, the Ministry of Environmental Protection in
Lithuania, the Ministry of Environment & Forests in India, the Ministry of
Housing, Municipality & Environment in Bahrain, the Ministry of Environment in
Lebanon, the Ministry of Energy & Mines in Eritrea, and the Ministry of
Environment of the Republic of Korea.
Efforts have been focused on negotiating with potential environmental
information contributors to develop the exchange of EST-related information. The
contributors to maESTro include: UNIDO in Austria, GEC (Global Environment
Centre Foundation) in Japan, Environment Canada and others (see Table 1).
Regarding entries of information in the “Technology” database, IETC initially
focuses on technologies owned by public institutions or results from publicly
funded research and development institutions. However, under the conditions of
special agreements, and based on in-kind or financial support to IETC’s
activities, also private sector technologies might be added to the Directory.
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