IEA Database Version Release Notes

  • We try to update the IEA Database regularly (at least annually and sometimes more often). To help users identify improvements to the database and to allow users of the database to replicate previous research using the database, the Project will provide release numbers using a "year.update" format. The version of the database resident on the iea.uoregon.edu website prior to Fall 2007, should be referenced as Version 1.
    • Version 2018.1 (completed 2018 Febrary 10): Balsiger and Germann University of Geneva team added 137 BEAs, 22 MEAs, and 3 IO-country EAs. Mitchell's University of Oregon team added and updated over 5,000 membership actions.
    • Version 2017.2 (completed 2017 February 8): this version increased BEA entries to 2,108, by the addition of 510 BEAs identified by Jorg Balsiger and Lorris Germann of the University of Geneva. Their work brought the BEA side of the database up to date and provides the foundation for the IEADB to become a complete repository for bilateral as well as multilateral environmental agreements.  A list of BEAs by decade is available at: https://iea.uoregon.edu/environmental-agreements-date
    • Version 2017.1 (completed 2017 January 23): this version corresponded with completion of the migration of the database from a MySQL/PhP platform to a Drupal platform to allow greater crowd-sourcing of database maintenance and updates. As part of that process, 43 MEAs were added. The dataset contains 1275 MEAs and 1598 BEAs as of this update.
      • Membership data for all MEAs was updated and extended, with entries now available for over 45,000 membership actions (i.e., signature, ratification/accesssion/adherence/succession, entry into force, withdrawal), and an additional 35,000 membership actions derived from the entry into force of many amendments via the process of "tacit acceptance."
    • Version 2016.1 (posted: Feb 2015, Aug 2015, and Apr 2016) added 28 MEAs. Another 27 agreements in the dataset that had previously been designated as MEAs were reassigned as non-MEAs based on re-evaluation of their terms which documented that they did not meet the IEADB's definitions for legally-binding environmental agreements. The dataset contains 1232 MEAs and 1598 BEAs as of this update.
    • Version 2014.3 (posted: 2014 December 18; including Versions 2014.1 and 2014.2) added 37 MEAs, for a total of 1231 MEAs and 1598 BEAs.
      • Membership details were increased to include membership details for 1301 agreements.
    • Version 2013.2 (posted: 2013 July 15) was a second update in 2013 that added 32 MEAs (and removed 8 that were identified as not fitting the IEA database definitions for MEAs), leading to a total MEAs to 1197 and BEAs to 1595. Membership details were increased to include membership details for 1176 agreements. Click on a Membership link in any agreement list or the Country Membership link in the Navigation Bar to see membership data in various formats.
    • Version 2013.1 (posted: 2013 January 20) was an annual update that increased total MEAs to 1173 and BEAs to 1591. Membership details were vastly increased so that the database now includes membership information (signature, ratification, and/or entry into force data) for 967 agreements. Click on a Membership link in any agreement list or the Country Membership link in the Navigation Bar to see membership data in various formats.
    • Version 2012.1 (posted: 2012 February 20) was a major update that increased the total MEAs to 1125. Membership details were vastly increased so that the database now includes membership information (signature, ratification, and/or entry into force data) for over 800 agreements. Click on a Membership link in any agreement list or the Country Membership link in the Navigation Bar to see membership data in various formats.
    • Version 2010.3 (posted: 2010 September) included 40 additional agreements, bringing the total to 1050. Membership details by agreement were significantly updated and improved.
    • Version 2010.2 (posted: 2010 May 15) included 2 additional agreements.
    • Version 2010.1 (posted: 2010 February 8) included 5 additional agreements and included links to their texts, which were previously missing.
    • Version 2007.1 was the first complete version of the underlying dataset and contained 972 agreements. For access to earlier versions of the database, contact the Project Director.
  • Updates and revisions will be posted on this page. Version numbers will change only to reflect the following changes to the database:
    • addition of new agreements to the database
    • changes in the classification of agreements in the database with respect to their classification as Multilateral/Bilateral/Other, as Environmental/Non-Environmental, or as Agreements/Non-Agreements. These classifications are reflected in the "Agreement Type" column.
  • Other modifications will be made regularly to the site to improve the agreement-related information for each of the agreements in the current version of the database and to improve the usability of the website. These modifications will NOT be reflected in new version numbers. The version number will be used to keep track of the total agreements in the database and the major categorization of agreements