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WEMS Documentation

WEMS User Manual

The aim of the WEMS User Manual is to provide guidelines for using the WEMS database management software, including descriptions of the deployment components and a possible deployment environment.

WEMS Handbook

The handbook explains the conceptual framework and lays out the implementation directions.

Wildlife Enforcement Monitoring System (WEMS): A Solution to Support Compliance of Multilateral Environmental Agreements

Abstract: Given the rising number of international environmental agreements, it is increasingly difficult for many developing countries to meet the basic commitments of compliance to Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAS). One major reason for non-compliance is an unforced restriction on enforcement information flow to the national environmental governance repository either due to policy regulations or, technological hindrance. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of a global informaiton technology framework for MEAs that will help in enhancing the flow of information from a grassroot level to a national repository and then serving to various international agencies involved in monitoring of enforcement and compliance to MEAs. The paper defines the current challenges in global and national-level environmental information gathering and analysis and then, explains the technological and policy framework model adopted in the Wildlife Enforcement Monitoring System (WEMS). The paper then argues that the WEMS model will be able to overcome the existing challenges hindering the information flow in a government framework. Download Paper

Brief on WEMS by Lusaka Agreement Task Force

The document was released on the occasion of the WEMS Training Workshop. Download it from the repository of the UNU Calendar System.

WEMS Testimonials

Prof. Govindan Parayil, Vice Rector, United Nations University and Director, United Nations University - Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) said

Prof. G. Parayil

``UNU-IAS is pleased to be a partner in this important research and capacity building project in Africa using the WEMS platform in partnership with LATF and ITC Netherlands. This is amongst several initiatives that UNU is undertaking to enhance our engagement with our partners and other stakeholders in Africa."

Mr. Mohamed Wa-Mwanchai, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife of the Republic of Kenya said

CBS Permanent Secretary

``Given the prevailing levels of wildlife crime in the continent, there is need to improve the capacity for collaboration amongst law enforcement agencies through information sharing. Fighting wildlife crime requires concerted efforts involving pooling financial, human and information resources. We must share intelligence because this is one of the most important prerequisites to effectively fight the ever-increasing sophistication in wildlife crime. Africa should have the latest tools and specialized techniques for monitoring wildlife law enforcement to defeat wildlife crime. That is why the Wildlife Enforcement Monitoring System that is the subject of this workshop was critical and even overdue. We are grateful to our partners, the United Nations University and the University of Twente (ITC) for this initiative."

Prof. Tom Veldkamp, Rector, Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente said

Prof. Veldkamp ITC

``Geospatial technology alone may not be a solution to the problem of transnational sharing of spatial information, especially when the information crossing borders is politically sensistive. Our research on wildlife enforcement monitoring (WEMS) aims to understand the civic, scientific and bureaucratic cultures that interact when spatial information for WEMS is shared across national borders."

Mr. Bonaventure Ebayi, Director, Lusaka Agreement Task Force (IATF) said

LATF Director

``Information sharing is a key component to combating wildlife crime in Africa. The effective implementation of WEMS in Africa will impact positively on information sharing and analysis at global level as well as facilitate good understanding of our challenges by our partners and enhance our efficiencies in wildlife conservation. WEMS-Africa will provide an important platform for strengthening national reporting processes pertaining to the monitoring of illegal wildlife trade in Africa. It will also provide the necessary support services to responsible national bureaus to Lusaka agreement and the Lusaka Agreement Task Force to establish the necessary technology policies, infrastructure and platforms required for national reporting. Appropriate technology infrastructure and governance structure will allow for systematic recording of incidents of illegal wildlife trade within national borders toward improving efforts that countries are making to conserve wildlife resources in Africa. This is an important milestone towards achieving the ultimate objective to create an information center of wildlife crime in Africa by pooling data on illegal trade from various national agencies in the region"