Retrieval of Internet information for task-specific use in environmental risk management

Environmental risk management depends on effective use of existing expert knowledge. The Web in its present form does not allow for context-aware queries, meaning knowledge-oriented queries. Semantic annotation of online data/information supports the use of intelligent agents for the location and retrieval of task-specific expertise. This paper examines the theoretical background of ontology-based mark-up and reports of an ongoing project to create ontology for flood-risk management.