The Center for International Earth Science Information Network's mission is to provide access to and enhance the use of information worldwide, advancing understanding of human interactions in the environment and serving the needs of science and public and private decision-making. CIESIN was established in 1989 as an independent nongovernmental organization to provide information that would help scientists, decision-makers and the public better understand the changing relationship between human beings and the environment. In 1998, CIESIN became a center within Columbia University's Earth Institute.
