Biodiversity Module from UNEP-WCMC
Introducing integrated, map-based access to biodiversity information
To conserve biodiversity — the variety and complexity of life — your E&P teams must be well equipped to evaluate the possible impacts of proposed activities in sensitive habitats and ecosystems.
Every project an oil company undertakes raises a unique set
of biodiversity issues. With exploration increasingly moving into “frontier” regions, where the designation of protected areas is
growing the fastest — and where local communities may have strong dependencies on regional ecosystems — your E&P teams need an “early warning system” to:
- study possible adverse impacts of new exploration and ongoing operations
- support your company's standards for conserving biodiversity
- report results effectively to your stakeholders
To help, IHS and the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) have formed a partnership to enhance access to a range of biodiversity information on protected and sensitive areas.
Offshore Brazil
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Protected areas, coral reefs and seagrasses are displayed alongside current oil and gas fields, exploration wells, seismic surveys and upcoming lease blocks.
Seeing protected areas in the same map view as fields, wells, leases, pipelines and other E&P data can help project teams study the full 'footprint' of their proposed activities. You can spot possible overlaps with sensitive habitats or environments and thereby avoid, minimize or mitigate adverse impacts. |
IHS & UNEP-WCMC Partnership
IHS has formed a partnership agreement with the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) to provide the oil & gas industry with access to a unique biodiversity information module ("Biodiversity Module"), integrated seamlessly with IHS's E&P data.
The Biodiversity Module includes information on the distribution and extent of national and international protected areas and other sensitive land, marine and coastal habitats and ecosystems. It is available for subscription as additional map layers in IHS's GIS-based Internet and desktop map and analysis platforms.
The integration of critical data on an area's oil and gas potential and current pipeline routes, and critical data on an area's sensitive ecosystems, enables O&G companies to more effectively consider biodiversity impacts when deciding where to explore, how to plan seismic surveys or exploratory wells, and how to approach ongoing drilling programs, transportation and pipeline operations, and emergency response strategies and plans.
Value of early, broad access to biodiversity information
Because IHS data and mapping tools are widely used by new ventures and field development professionals, this new partnership broadens access to key biodiversity information for the oil and gas professionals who need it most.
Integrating IHS’s comprehensive data on licensed areas, lease blocks, field outlines, basins, reserves, pipelines and other related E&P information with the Biodiversity Module’s key data on national and international protected areas and a range of sensitive habitats and ecosystems will provide an “early warning system” for oil and gas companies. This will allow them to identify and consider the potential issues, conflicts or impacts of their activities on wildlife and their habitats at any stage of an oil and gas project’s lifecycle.
The integration of such analytical tools creates a critical information resource for minimizing, avoiding or mitigating environmental impact on sensitive natural areas, as well as serving as a useful assessment tool for monitoring company biodiversity performance, useful for augmenting your current company best practices.
Early access to this information will aid operators in evaluating new acreage acquisitions or new projects, enabling companies to work closely with communities, governments and biodiversity experts to address potential negative impacts on wildlife and their habitats before operations begin, as well as review ongoing drilling, transportation and pipeline operations.
The partnership calls for a significant amount of the revenue generated through this commercial arrangement to be returned to UNEP-WCMC for use in maintaining and expanding the scope of the biodiversity datasets.
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