ORAL - May (talk given by Mitrofanov)

The Caspian Interactive Map Service (IMapS) has been developed by the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) in collaboration with the Caspian Environment Programme (CEP) and the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) as a response on need to have a tool that will facilitate appropriate environmental planning, as well as emergency response to mitigate the impacts of environmental damage. The Caspian Sea IMapS is an interactive mapping tool, accessible over the Internet, delivering environmental information in the form that is usable by a variety of different people from field based environmental practitioners to high level policy makers. IMapS is particularly focused on biodiversity issues, combining information on the vulnerable key species, habitats distribution, protected areas and the ecological conditions and environmental sensitivity of the Caspian coasts. The IMapS allows for an integrated understanding of key environmental information across the Caspian Sea giving users a greater understanding of the information across the region rather than just within individual countries. The Species Query Tool, linked to the Caspian Biodiversity Database, allows users to view a list of individual species that occur in the current map extent. The IMapS holds information collected from a variety of sources such as local and national governments, non-governmental and international organizations and private companies on a diverse range of environmental subjects such as hallmark species, habitats, threats, and socio-economic resources. With IMapS end users can create customized maps online to meet their individual information requirements. Combining biodiversity with environmental and industrial data in a map-based view creates a powerful early warning resource for the decision makers, helping them understand how planned activities and emergencies can impact sensitive ecosystems.

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