WRI is a research and policy institute promoting the responsible use of natural resources through the generation of accurate information on global resources and environmental conditions, the analysis of emerging issues and the development of policy responses.
Information services include:
(a) World Resources database: IBM-PC disc of statistics taken from the annual publication “World resources: a guide to the global environment”. The data on disc is expanded to include additional countries, variable and (where possible) a 20 year data set. Data can be searched by country or country grouping and exported in a variety of text/spreadsheet formats. Can also create graphs and tables.
(b) World Resources: report published annually. Full text, statistics and maps from current issue available on WRI WWW. Each issue has a thematic focus: 1996-7 focuses on urbanisation, being a report prepared for the Habitat 2 Conference. Statistics available on CIESIN WWW
(c) WWW site: with information on WRI and its publications, a number of thematic overviews (currently on biodiversity and forest resources), detailed information on its projects (Environmental Education Project, the Management Institute for Environment and Business (MEB),Natural Resources Policy Consultative Group for Africa (PCG: see separate entries). Their Ecobyte collection allows (currently) free access to the full text of some 300 of their publications.
(d) Library: Materials from 1983-date. 10,500 records. Not online. Searches on demand, contact: Samuel Boltik
(e) Database of country environmental profiles (see Interaise entry): abstracts for biodiversity studies available on WWW
(f) Biodiversity Conservation Strategy Update: distributed via the Conslink discussion list and on the Smithsonian Institute gopher (see separate entries)
(g) 3D Atlas CDRom: covers the Earth from physical, environmental and political perspectives. Contains globe images, photographs and statistics presented in multi-media formats.
(h) Africa Data Sampler: CDRom with digital maps at 1:1 million scale for every African country. Based on the Digital Chart of the World. Includes data on protected areas, forests, mangroves and wetlands, drainage, topography, infrastructure, sub-national administrative boundaries with corresponding population estimates for the entire continent. Users need the ArcView 1 for Windows software to view, query, print and distribute maps. Also available on floppy disc (one country per disk)