UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre

Citation

Rose, P.M. (2001), "UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre", Online Information Review, Vol. 25 No. 5, pp. 329-337. https://doi.org/10.1108/oir.2001.25.5.329.12

The breadth and depth of the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP‐WCMC) Web site reflects its complex mission. UNEP‐WCMC maintains connections to a wide range of expert sources and contacts at the national, regional, and international levels and encourages user input to gather and integrate reliable information for policy and action to conserve the living world.

The page layout is a simple two‐column table with links to content as well as common links: reception, resources, habitats, species, regions, climate change, protected areas, conventions and agreements, interactive map service, search, and latest news. A second set of common links – comments, search, copyright information, and a help feature – appears at the bottom of the contents pages along with the URL, revision date and current date. The white background, black text, inconspicuous logos, and fonts produce clear, readable pages. Navigation through the site is fairly straightforward; users can easily locate information on a specific topic. However, the opening of multiple browser windows can be disconcerting and may create a potential crash situation for some computer configurations.

The content is reliable and authoritative, sanctioned by collaborating agencies. The emphasis on currency of the information makes the site particularly useful for its intended purpose. The search engine is fast and reliable when search terms are specific. The wealth of data on the site in the form of statistics, interactive maps, and databases is updated regularly. UNEP‐WCMC has pioneered the delivery of interactive map‐based conservation data, seen in the maps on coral disease, marine turtles and world heritage sites. The maps, which make use of UNISYS LZW compression technology, allow the user to zoom in or out, to pan in all directions, and retrieve descriptive information.

The section on wildlife trade provides objective and reliable information on this delicate topic. The species section contains searchable databases of threatened plants and animals with summary statistics compiled by class, country and group. Database entries for endangered species are searchable by common or scientific name, and are annotated and exhaustively referenced. The habitats section contains a large collection of data including spatial datasets concerning habitat conservation. UNEP‐WCMC locates and compiles information on protected areas into a virtual library, and provides a link to the World Heritage Information Network. The regions section offers a capacity building service, which includes workshops, plenary sessions, working groups and training in developing information systems related to conservation.

Several sections contain external links to collaborative organizations and related sites. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) which publishes the 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, is a frequent collaborator, as is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

There are a number of academic and institutional sites that offer collections of links and local and regional programme information, but none are comprehensive. The University of California at Irvine’s hypertext book (http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/∼sustain/bio65/Titlpage.htm) offers a basic tutorial on the subject. The Biodiversity Support Program (http://www.bsponline. org/) offers full text publications in five languages in PDF and/or HTML. UNEP‐WCMC is the best site for in‐depth information, hard data, and statistics on the topic. It is targeted to professionals and students working in conservation management, biodiversity, and environmental emergency management. A valuable addition to professional, academic and public library Web pages, it is recommended.