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Mobile app for reporting envirnomental violations

Publicly available information

The State Environmental Service of the Republic of Latvia has invented mobile application for reporting environmental violations. The purpose of this app is to increase awareness on environmental problems and make reporting much easier for society. Users can apply environmental complains using mobile application and keep tracking solution of the problem.

Innovation Summary

Innovation Overview

In the year 2015, the State Environmental Service has invented mobile application "Vides SOS" for reporting environmental violations. A mobile application for submitting report about environmental violation is available for smartphones and processed data/task status of the reports are publicly available in the Internet. The main objective of the project is to promote the involvement of the society in solving environmental problems and increase environment responsibility and lifestyle.

The mobile app solves the problem of the information availability. For the submitter it usually it takes time to find responsible authority and the location of the proposed environmental violation. Conventional methods for the reporting about environmental complaints are phone calls, email or letter in paper form.

Both society and public sector are benefited from the use of mobile app. The main advantage of mobile app is the new method of communication between civil sector and society, that allows competent institutions to receive and process information much more faster, than using conventional information channels. Also information about proposed location is more precious, because GPS coordinates will be already available. The mobile app provides an opportunity to report environmental violations from any place in Latvia. Operative assess the precious information are main advantage for environmental inspectors.

With the "Vides SOS" mobile app it is possible to report about soil, air and water contamination, as well as various activities and significant environmental violations such as waste, illegal fishing of river and lake protection zones and other environmental risks.

The Environmental Department is planning to develop usage of mobile app and involve more public institutions to use mobile app. Municipalities, Forest Agency and Nature Conservation Agency have already involved in project, that allows access for this institutions inspectors to receive reports about proposed environmental problems regarding to their competence.

Innovation Description

What Makes Your Project Innovative?

The mobile app is the innovative method of communication between civil sector and society, that allows competent institutions to receive and process information much more faster, than using conventional information channels.

What is the current status of your innovation?

The mobile application has been publicly available as of 2015. In the 2016-2018 organization evaluated feedback from users and made improvements of application.

Innovation Development

Collaborations & Partnerships

The Environmental State Service created and launched the program in collaboration with Civil society organization, involving citizens and environmental organizations. Future partners will be required to participate.

Users, Stakeholders & Beneficiaries

Both citizens and government officials benefited from the project. Civil society organizations also has been involved in the popularization of project activities.

Innovation Reflections

Results, Outcomes & Impacts

About 1500 environmental problems per year has been solved. Involvement in the solution of the environmental problems has been observed from of the society and municipalities.

In the future improved collaboration with different environmental competent authorities will be expected.

Challenges and Failures

The project has met technical challenges relating to data security and involvement of different organization.
All technical errors regarding to data visualization and data security has been solved with additional resources.

Conditions for Success

Human and financial resources and information support from the civil organizations. Interest from society and informational campaign are vital for this kind of projects.

Replication

Larger and smaller organization have potential to invent similar projects. Mobile apps with reports form society can be related to any kind of civil organizations. For example, environmental inspection, police and municipal agencies.

Lessons Learned

The project gave a great experience about civil sector communication with society and engaging people in solution of the environmental problems.

Supporting Videos

Year: 2015
Level of Government: National/Federal government

Status:

  • Implementation - making the innovation happen

Innovation provided by:

Media:

Date Published:

15 January 2015

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