Information on Sensitive Environments
Mark Collins UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre June 2003
Types of operations
• Exploration • Strategic and environmental impact assessment • Contingency planning • Emergency response
Location: North-east coast South Africa
Global IMAPS Service
Areas designated for nature conservation
Sites designated at the national level: • IUCN Categories I-VI • No IUCN Category assigned
Areas designated for nature conservation
Sites that are recognised internationally: • World Heritage sites • Ramsar sites • UNESCO MAB Biosphere Reserves • etc
Kosi Bay example
Kosi Bay example
Kosi Bay example
• • • • • • • • Location Boundary General description Wetland types Geology/geomorphology Ecological features Hydrology Soil type and Chemistry • • • • • • • Water quality Pollution Catchment area Climatic regime Land tenure Conservation measures Disturbances and threats
Greater St Lucia example
Greater St Lucia example
Greater St Lucia example
• • • • • • • • • Location Boundary General description Criteria for listing Conservation value History of establishment Physical features Vegetation Fauna • • • • • • • • Cultural heritage Local human population Visitors and facilities Scientific Reseach Land tenure Conservation measures Disturbances and threats Infrastructure
Wetlands
Tidal/coastal systems Freshwater marsh
Mangroves
Mangroves
• Important spawning and nursery areas for many species of marine fish and invertebrates. Provide organic material in form of leaves and detritus, which forms the food base for estuarine life. Vital role in stabilising estuarine sediments preventing erosion
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Seagrass
Seagrass
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Considerable ecological and economic importance base of food chain for productive coastal fisheries provide shelter and food nursery ground prevent coastal erosion by stabilising bottom sediments
Coral Reefs
Coral reefs
• the reefs provide the only true tropical diving in the country, with 90,000 divers a year 43 species of scleractinian (reef building) coral are recorded here coral cover is high and makes up 50% of benthic cover and 95% of live cover home to more than 1200 species of fish.
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Turtle Nesting Sites
• Leather back (Dermochelys coriacea) • Loggerhead (Caretta caretta)
Partnership and collaboration
• Protected areas compiled in collaboration with a wide range of agencies at both national and international levels • Information on specific habitats compiled in collaboration with other international expert organizations and scientists around the world
World Database on Protected Areas
• Key source of quality controlled information on the world’s protected areas • Essential core dataset facilitating access to other data, studies and assessments • Accepted international benchmark for policy-makers and other stakeholders
World Database on Protected Areas
Services to Industry
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IMAPS Emergency response/contingency planning Biodiversity Country Profiles Support to project planning ECOiSHARE
Services to Industry
Services to Industry
UNEP-WCMC Support to Industry
Emergency Response and Contingency Planning For the Petroleum Industry
Purpose of activity: To provide biodiversity and environmental sensitivity information to decision-makers and planners within the petroleum industry, to assist with the production and implementation of oil spill and emergency response strategies and action plans.
Activities: Oil spill prevention is of paramount importance to the petroleum industry. The transportation of oil from dominant production centres to the global market is an important component of the petroleum delivery process. Oil and associated chemicals are frequently transported by ship, as well as via pipelines around the world. Such activities pose a significant risk to marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Although the average number of spills has declined by a third since the 1970s when
Services to Industry
UNEP-WCMC Support to Industry
Support to New Project Planning
Purpose: To provide appropriate biodiversity and environmental information to support the development of new oil, gas or mining operations and facilities, or the extension of existing facilities. This is achieved through the provision of mapped and supporting textual biodiversity information, which can be used in initial project screening, highlighting areas of environmental sensitivity. Activities: Over the last 10 years, UNEP-WCMC has provided a variety of biodiversity information services supporting oil, gas and mining companies, environmental consultants and other industries in the development of new exploration activities or the extension of existing extraction facilities. UNEP-WCMC is able to draw upon its unique position as the custodian of many global, regional and national biodiversity data sets that can be utilised and customised to meet a client’s needs. UNEP-WCMC also has the experience and
Services to Industry
UNEP-WCMC Support to Industry
Biodiversity Country Profiles
Purpose of activity: To provide an overview of key biodiversity-related information that multinational petroleum or minerals and mining companies should be aware of within national or regional business units. This includes information on ecosystem components, international and national biodiversity policy issues, key threats, pressures and opportunities for collaboration, and local information sources and contacts. Such information will be useful for developing business unit biodiversity strategies and action plans, or supporting environmental impact assessment.
Services to Industry
UNEP-WCMC Support to Industry
ECOiSHARE
Ecological Information Share
At the heart of good business practice and a better world
Purpose of activity: To provide open access to biodiversity and environmental data gathered and held by contributing multinational partners, through a readily accessible web-based interface. Activities: Much of the readily available information on biodiversity comes from the government, NGO and academic sectors. However, increasingly the private sector, particularly multinational corporations working in the petroleum, minerals and mining sectors, have access to