About GRAMED

The Global and Regional Assessments of the Marine Environment Database (GRAMED) has been developed at the request of UNEP and IOC/UNESCO, as the lead agencies responsible for taking forward the "Assessment of Assessments" through the implementation of UNGA Resolution 60/30. It was first developed to support the preparation of the 2007 report, Global Marine Assessments: A survey of global and regional assessments and related scientific activities of the marine environment and builds on the 2003 UNEP-WCMC/UNEP/ IOC-UNESCO report "Global Marine Assessments: A survey of global and regional marine environmental assessments and related scientific activities". The GRAMED Database is managed and hosted by UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge, UK.

Initially developed to support the work of the Group of Experts charged with carrying out the Assessment of Assessments, the database has been developed with the objective to provide support to a future regular process for the global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment.

In 2008, funding was received from the UK Department to develop the content and functionality of the database, and in particular to demonstrate the utility of the database at the national level in support of the UK's coordinated and integrated approach to marine monitoring and assessment: the UK Marine and Monitoring Assessment Strategy (UKMMAS). UKMMAS aims to shape the UK's capability, within national and international waters "provide, and respond, within a changing climate, to, the evidence required for sustainable development within a clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse marine ecosystem and within one generation to make a real difference.

The online, searchable database provides users with access to information on the activities' background, processes and products:

• Summary of activity data
• Institutional arrangements
• Orientation and justification
• Coverage and source of information
• Data, methods and aspects of process
• Communications
• Future actions
• Review and evaluation

Links are provided, where possible, to access available GIS tools, databases and full text reports. GRAMED aims to include a cross section of relevant marine assessments and related activities, but this list is not exhaustive. The database has some 66 data fields. Of the records included in the database, 274 have been reviewed as part of the 2007-2009 Assessment of Assessment Process. For further information on the functions of the database please go to the Help pages.