Environmental monitoring is needed to protect the public and the environment from toxic contaminants and pathogens. It is used to prepare environmental impact assessments, as well as to establish the circumstances in which human activities carry a risk of harmful effects on the natural environment.

Types of monitoring carried out include that of air, water, soil and noise. All monitoring strategies and programs have reason and justification which help them to establish the current status of an environment or to establish trends in environmental parameters.