Datasets Available from UNEP-WCMC: Excluding WDPA
Access to UNEP-WCMC datasets is provided on the understanding that you read and consent to be bound by the Terms and Conditions attached. For the purposes of this Agreement the “Data” comprise any of the spatial data and associated attribute data downloadable from the UNEP-WCMC website, excluding the World Database on Protected Areas.
This regional dataset shows the distribution of mangroves and was compiled by UNEP-WCMC through processing of Landsat TM 5 and Landsat 7 ETM+ images dating predominantly from 1999-2001. These data were published in association with the UNEP-Regional Seas Programme in the report: "Mangroves of Western and Central Africa" written and compiled by Emily Corcoran, Corinna Ravilious and Mike Skuja. (June 2007).
Resource Type: Spatial Data / MapsOn October 16, at the REDD+ Day of CBD COP 11 in Hyderabad, the UN-REDD programme launched a policy brief focusing on multiple benefits and safeguards under REDD+. The paper elaborated on the use of tools and data to support decisions, and presented examples from implementation in REDD+ countries.
REDD+ is increasingly considered to have the potential to contribute to a range of policy goals in addition to climate change mitigation in the forestry sector. It is also recognized that there are social and environmental risks that may arise as the REDD+ mechanism is being implemented.
What has been less widely acknowledged is that avoiding significant risks and securing additional benefits from REDD+ could be the key to the overall success of the mechanism. By securing benefits beyond carbon, REDD+ can draw support from broader social and political constituencies; demonstrate that it enables a wider range of values to be realized; and generates sustainable income sources.
For governments and other stakeholders to adopt a broader approach to REDD+, a strong evidence base is needed to demonstrate that additional benefits will indeed be achieved, and contributions to national and local priorities accomplished. The Policy Brief outlines a series of analytical approaches that can help provide an evidence base to inform REDD+ decisions. It focuses on addressing environmental risks and benefits, and provides examples from Panama, Nigeria, DRC and Indonesia of where these approaches are already used.
The policy brief was drafted collaboratively with UNEP by UNEP-WCMC as part of their work for the UN-REDD Programme.
Resource Type: Tools / ApplicationsUNEP-WCMC, with the financial support of the UN-REDD programme, wrote a paper on biodiversity monitoring for REDD+ published in the journal "Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability" as part of ongoing work on REDD+ safeguards. The paper observes the following three challenge to biodiversity monitoring for REDD: choosing which aspects of biodiversity to monitor, the difficulty of attributing particular changes to REDD+ and the likely scarcity of resources for biodiversity monitoring. It proposes three responses which may address these challenges: 1) agreed policy targets that identify what should be monitored; 2) making links to existing biodiversity monitoring and to monitoring to estimate GHG emissions and removals; and 3) developing clear theories of change to assist in determining which changes in biodiversity can be attributed to REDD+. The paper is available on the journal website here.
Resource Type: Tools / ApplicationsDatasets Available from UNEP-WCMC: Excluding WDPA
Access to UNEP-WCMC datasets is provided on the understanding that you read and consent to be bound by the Terms and Conditions attached. For the purposes of this Agreement the “Data” comprise any of the spatial data and associated attribute data downloadable from the UNEP-WCMC website, excluding the World Database on Protected Areas.
This GIS dataset for mangrove distributions was produced for the publication, World Atlas of Mangroves (2010) as joint initiatives of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME), United Nations Environment Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization-Man and Biosphere (UNESCO-MAB), United Nations University-Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Major funding was provided by ITTO through a Japanese Government project grant and the project was implemented by ISME.
Resource Type: Spatial Data / Maps
This KML layer includes key information on the natural and mixed World Heritage sites that were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as of 7 August 2012. The information comes from the latest version of the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA).
Resource Type: Spatial Data / MapsThis report for WWF and IUCN shows how GIS can be used to prioritise areas for forest restoration. Candidate social and ecological criteria are identified at a regional level. The Mediterranean region is used as a case study
Resource Type: Tools / Applications©2013 UNEP All rights reserved