The general objective of NATURNET-REDIME project (NNR) is the improvement of knowledge and the provision of education concerning all aspects of Sustainable Development. The project will thus develop and demonstrate prototype technology and educational programmes towards implementing the European Union's Strategy for Sustainable Development (SSD). Extensive stakeholder understanding of the various factors and tools that affect sustainable development is one of the main goals of the NNR project. The content will focus on and integrate ecological, economic, social and technological factors and will prepare training facilities for Strategic Impact Assessment (SIA).

The output of the project is devided into two main parts, which come from two original independent project's proposals (NaturNet and REDIME)

• The NATURNET component of the project will focus on building an interoperable Internet architecture, through which users can access and visualise much of the data on sustainable development that currently exists in a scattered, non-integrated form throughout the world. Mobile Internet technologies will allow users to access location-specific information, wherever they are.
   
• The REDIME component of the project will focus on learning through modelling and simulation. We will use this approach to develop tools for the public to learn about sustainable development. This will be made possible by enhancing Qualitative Reasoning (QR) modelling tools to make them easy and interesting for everybody to use. A team of sustainability experts will organise and explicate cause-effect processes into the new QR workbench, allowing this knowledge to be transferred and re-used. Thus, users will assemble these pieces of knowledge like building blocks to create and run simulations themselves. In contrast to passive learning by traditional lecture or reading formats, a deeper understanding of cause and effect will thus be facilitated.

• Both the main components of the project will closely interact on the NaturNet-Redime web portal demonstrating the existing best practice of the application of the principles of sustainability and offering modelling tools that will be able to demonstrate the influence of human activities on the environment.
   
• Because the NaturNet-Redime web portal will be based on interoperable services, it will be possible to utilise modules from other projects and local data sources.

Project co-funded by the European Commission within the Sixth Framework Programme (2002-2006)