ENVIS – The Environmental Information System is a decentralized system with a network of distributed subject oriented centers ensuring integration of national efforts in environmental information collection, collation, storage, retrieval and dissemination to all concerned. Presently the ENVIS network consists of Focal Point at the Ministry of Environment and Forest along with the ENVIS centers setup for selected areas of environment at different organizations / establishments of our country. These centers have been set up in the areas of pollution control, toxic chemicals, central and offshore ecology, environmentally sound and appropriate technology, bio-degradation of wastes, environmental management, etc. 

Realizing the importance of Environmental Information, the Government of India, in December, 1982, established an Environmental Information System (ENVIS) as a plan programme. The focus of ENVIS since inception has been on providing environmental information to decision makers, policy planners, scientists, engineers, research workers, etc all over the country. 

Environment is a broad-ranging, multi-disciplinary subject, which necessarily needs a comprehensive information system involving the effective participation of concerned institutions / organizations of the country that are actively engaged in works related to the different subject areas of environment. ENVIS has, therefore, developed itself with a network of such participating institutions / organizations for the programme to be meaningful. A large number ENVIS centers have been established to cover the broad subject areas of environment with a Focal Point in the Ministry of Environment and Forests.