The UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Map Library (or BML) is a library of mapped information related to the conservation of the world's biological diversity. The BML contains:

• a large and rapidly growing collection of information on the world's biological resources
• an interface that allows inexperienced users to locate and access complex information in a simple, swift and flexible manner.

Information
The BML includes information on topics ranging from the extent of natural habitats and ecosystems to the distribution of threatened species, from sites of important species to the location and boundaries of national parks and protected areas. This information is very diverse in nature, but it can all be related geographically on maps. This provides the opportunity for different types of information to be combined, and as the database grows it becomes more useful and more widely applicable.

Interface
The spatial information is managed by a Geographical Information System (GIS) based on a commercial software package called ARC/INFO. The Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI), who produce ARC/INFO, have been very supportive in the development of the UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Map Library.

The menu-driven interface allows the user to select any part of the world, choose from a list of data themes, and overlay these in different combinations to prepare customised maps.

For more information about the UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Map Library and its applications, please contact the Information office.