Realising the need of environmental information the Ministry has set up an Environmental Information System (ENVIS) as a plan programme and as a comprehensive network in environmental information collection, collation, storage, retrieval and dissemination to varying users, which include decision makers, researchers, academicians policy planners, research scientists, etc. ENVIS has been conceived as a distributed information network with the subject-specific centres to carryout the mandates and to provide the relevant and timely information to all concerned. Association of the various State Governments/UTs was also felt necessary in promoting the ENVIS network to cover a wide range of disciplines of subjects and the cooperation of the various State/UT Governments. Keeping this in view, the network was expanded gradually with the involvement of thematic subject areas and State Government departments to make it more comprehensive.

The ENVIS network at present consists of a chain of 78 subject-specific and State related Centres called ENVIS Centres and are located in the notable organisations/institutions throughout the country. The focal point of ENVIS is located in the Ministry and coordinates the activities of all the ENVIS network partners to make ENVIS a web-enabled comprehensive information system.