evaluation of the utility and functionality of the … · unep/gef project: “reversing...

United Nations UNEP/GEF South China Sea Global Environment Environment Programme Project Facility

UNEP/GEF/SCS/PSC.6/Inf.4

Date: 2nd October 2006 Original: English

Sixth Meeting of the Project Steering Committee for the UNEP/GEF Project: “Reversing Environmental Degradation Trends in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand” Siem Reap, Cambodia, 20th – 22nd November 2006

EVALUATION OF THE UTILITY AND FUNCTIONALITY OF THE PROJECT WEBSITE.

THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO THE REGIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL COMMITTEE FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE RSTC WILLADVISE THE PSC OF THE CONCLUSIONS OF

THAT CONSIDERATION DURING HIS REPORT UNDER AGENDA ITEM 5

UNEP/GEF/SCS/PSC.6/Inf.4 Page 1

1 INTRODUCTION The South China Sea Project Website <www.unepscs.org> was initially developed during the preparatory phase of the project for the online storage and download of project documents. In July 2005, the PCU decided to re-develop the project website with an aim of improving:

• Communication between project partners, • The extension of project news and information to project partners, • Accessibility to project outputs, and • Project partner contributions to the site.

The implementation of demonstration site and pilot activities during the project’s operational phase also pointed to the need for a website that could support the online sharing of experiences and lessons learned. Subsequently a new project website was launched at the project’s 2nd Regional Scientific Conference in November 2005, and was reviewed by the Sixth Meeting of the Regional Scientific and Technical Committee in December 2005. The Joomla Content Management System <www.joomla.org> was used to develop the new website. This platform was selected because it is free, easy to install, simple to manage, and reliable. The platform also enables project partners to publish and update their own content on the site using a user-friendly web-browser based interface. It also contains a facility that can be used for controlling publishing processes and assigning specific authoring, editing, and/or publishing rights to various individuals via a secure login procedure. This paper reviews the functionality and utility of the new South China Sea Project Website (UNEPSCS.org). It is divided into the following main parts:

• A review of the key features of UNEPSCS.org, • A compilation of information regarding the usage of UNEPSCS.org, and • An overview of problems encountered in the management of UNEPSCS.org.

The purpose of the review is to assist the Regional Scientific and Technical Committee in making decisions regarding how to guide the development and longer-term sustainability of UNEPSCS.org. 2 KEY FEATURES OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA PROJECT WEBSITE 2.1 Communication Tools The South China Sea Project Website features a range of tools aimed at improving communication between project partners and for extending project news and information to the project’s partner network and other interested parties. These tools include:

• The Partner Network Contacts Database • Information Pages for each Regional Working Group, Regional Task Force, and

Demonstration Site • Electronic Discussion Forums • A Monthly E-Newsletter • The SCS “Blog” • RSS News Feeds • An Online “Helpdesk”

2.1.1 Partner Network Contacts Database

The South China Sea Project has established a large and expanding partner network. There are currently in excess of one hundred institutions directly involved in the project, and more than four hundred institutions indirectly involved through individual participation on National Committees and Sub-committees and Regional Working Groups. It is anticipated that this network will continue to grow as the project’s demonstration sites and pilot activities become fully operational. In order to assist project partners in searching contact details for their regional counterparts, a Partner Network

UNEP/GEF/SCS/PSC.6/Inf.4 Page 2 Contacts Database was developed and is searchable from the homepage of UNEPSCS.org (see Figure 1). The Partner Network Contacts Database contains contact details for project partners searchable by partner type and country. It is possible for each project partner to update their own contact information online. The database currently contains contact details for National Focal Points, National Technical Focal Points, Specialised Executing Agencies, Focal Points for Project Components, Regional Task Force Members, Demonstration Site Managers and Local Government Officials, Regional Experts, and the Project Co-ordinating Unit. An example of the search results output page is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1 The Partner Network Search Function on the UNEPSCS.org Homepage.

Figure 2 An Example of the Search Result Page for the Partner Network Contacts Database.


2.1.2 Information Pages for each Regional Working Group, Regional Task Force, and

Demonstration Site Information pages for each Regional Working Group, Regional Task Force, and Demonstration Site have been added to UNEPSCS.org to facilitate the sharing of information regarding the outputs, ongoing work, and lessons learned of each of these groups (for example see Figure 3). Project component focal points, task force members, and demonstration site managers can edit and update pages for which they have been assigned responsibility. A summary of the types of information that these pages contain is provided in Table 1.

Figure 3 An example of a demonstration site information page. Table 1 Information provided on the Regional Working Group, Regional Task Force, and

Demonstration Site Pages.

Regional Working Groups Regional Task Forces Demonstration Sites

• Complete contact details for members of the Regional Working Group

• Overview of the groups’ work • Link to the meeting reports of

the working group • Links to the project documents

and information pages for the demonstration sites specific to the group

• Link to the SCS habitat review specific to the group

• Link to the SCS Online Meta-Database

• Link to the e-forums specific to the group

• Links to national reports

• Complete contact details for members of the Regional Task Force

• Overview of the work of the task force

• Link to the meeting reports of the task force

• Link to the e-forums specific to the group

• Complete contacts for the demonstration site, including D.S, manager, local gov. officials, focal point, and relevant PCU Officer

• Link to D.S. project document • Latitude and longitude • An overview of the purpose,

rationale, objectives, and anticipated outcomes for the site

• Links to the reports of the meetings of the relevant Regional Working Group(s)

• Link to the relevant SCS habitat review

• Link to site website, news articles, or videos

UNEP/GEF/SCS/PSC.6/Inf.4 Page 4 2.1.3 Electronic Discussion Forums An E-Forum is a facility on the Internet for holding discussions. It is essentially a website composed of a number of individual forums, with each forum having one or more discussion topics. Each topic is characterised by a discussion or conversation in the form of a series of member-written posts. Each topic remains saved on the forum website for future reading until removed by the site administrator.

All South China Sea Project partners were registered as members of the South China Sea Project E-Forum (see Figure 4) in January 2006. This enables partners to post messages in the E-Forum. Usernames and passwords, and a detailed user manual on the use of the website and E-Forum were sent by e-mail to each project partner in February 2006. These were also distributed to project component focal points and experts in hard copy and electronic versions during the 2006 round of Regional Working Group and Task Force meetings. The website user manual is readily downloadable from UNEPSCS.org and is included in the Website Manual folder of the SCS Website CD distributed during this meeting.

The difference between E-Forums and electronic mailing lists is that mailing lists automatically deliver new messages to the subscriber, while E-Forums require the member to visit the website, and check for new posts. Due to the possibility of partners missing replies to topics of relevance to them, the South China Sea E-Forum features an "e-mail notification" feature, where an e-mail is automatically sent to all users who have chosen to be notified of new replies, informing them that a new post has been made. The PCU has subscribed project partners to e-forum topics of relevance to them.

Figure 4 A section of the main page of the UNEPSCS.org E-Forum.

2.1.4 The South China Sea Project E-Newsletter

The PCU began sending a monthly e-mail newsletter to all project partners in March 2006. This e-newsletter contains information from the PCU regarding new content (e-forum posts, documents, multi-media etc) recently added to UNEPSCS.org, links to reviews and reports of recent meetings, and information about upcoming meetings and other important project related matters. Table 2 summarises the members of the SCS Project Partner Network and the other organisations that the e-newsletter is currently sent to. Project partners have been encouraged in several e-newsletters to ensure that the e-newsletter is distributed to national committees and other stakeholders in their respective countries.


Table 2 Members of the SCS Project Partner Network and other organisations that receive

the e-newsletter from the PCU each month.

SCS Project Partner Network UN/Other Organisations National Focal Points GEF Secretariat National Technical Focal Points UNEP DGEF, EAS RCU, UNDP, FAO Focal Points for Project Components SEAFDEC Secretariat Regional Task Force Members ASEAN Secretariat Demonstration Site Managers SEAPOL Local Government Officials SEA START RC/SEA-RLC Regional Experts IW-LEARN

A “Subscribe to the South China Sea Project E-Newsletter” function has been added to the homepage of UNEPSCS.org. Any visitor to the website can use this function to be added to the e-newsletter mailing list. The September 2006 e-newsletter was e-mailed to 202 individuals. Each e-newsletter is also loaded to the SCS E-Newsletter section of UNEPSCS.org and is accessed online an average of 142 times per month. 2.1.5 The South China Sea “Blog” A “Blog” is a website, or part of a website, where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order. The term "Blog" is a contraction of "Web log." Blogs are a popular feature of the Internet, and are especially useful for publishing brief, informal pieces of information online. The South China Sea Blog has been developed on UNEPSCS.org to provide the PCU and project partners with a facility for the posting of brief notices, news items, and articles on the project website (see Figure 5). As soon as a user posts a new entry in the South China Sea Blog, a link to that entry appears in the “Latest Information” section on the homepage of UNEPSCS.org (Figure 6). In Figure 5 it is possible to see the title of each entry and that entries are posted in reverse chronological order. The blog entry titles can be seen in the Latest Information section of Figure 6.

Figure 5 A section of the South China Sea Project Blog.


Figure 6 Link to the “South China Sea Multi-Media Centre” Blog Entry highlighted in the

Latest Information section of UNEPSCS.org. 2.1.6 The South China Sea “RSS Feeds” RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication". It is used to easily and instantaneously distribute a list of headlines, updates, and other content from a website to a wide number of people. Most Internet users are usually interested in many different websites, and changes to these sites are sporadic and unpredictable. For most users repeatedly checking each website to see if there is any new content can be very tedious. RSS works by enabling a website manager to maintain a notification list of content recently added to his/her website(s). This notification list is called an "RSS Feed". Internet users interested in finding recent changes to a website can check this list. To assist with this task, computer programs called "RSS aggregators" have been developed to automatically access the RSS feeds of websites and organise the results in a way that can be easily accessed by users (see Figure 7).

Figure 7 A Diagram on the Use of RSS Feeds to Automate the Aggregation of Links to

New Content on Multiple Websites. RSS Aggregators can be easily integrated into a webpage in order to automatically provide links to content as soon it is added to selected websites. To assist in the syndication of South China Sea Project information, the PCU has established two SCS Project RSS feeds for UNEPSCS.org. The first feed syndicates recent “newsflash” items published on the homepage of UNEPSCS.org, recent posts in the South China Sea Blog, and recent versions of the SCS E-Newsletter. The second feed syndicates recent versions of the SCS E-Newsletter. These feeds can be accessed from the UNEPSCS RSS Feeds section of the UNEPSCS.org homepage. This technology is a highly powerful approach for the sharing of information online. Focal Ministries, Specialised Executing Agencies, and Demonstration Sites can use the SCS Project feeds to have


recent news from the SCS Project displayed on their websites automatically. If the websites of these organisations also have RSS feeds, these feeds could be used to display recent information from these sites in a section of UNEPSCS.org. To demonstrate the use of RSS feeds, the main South China Sea Project RSS feed is being “fed” into an RSS Feed Aggregator on the UNEPSCS.org homepage (see Figure 8).

Figure 8 The main South China Sea Project RSS Feed being “fed” into the SCS Project

News Section of UNEPSCS.org. 2.1.7 An Online “Helpdesk” An online “helpdesk” tool has been incorporated into the homepage of UNEPSCS.org. Project Partners can use this tool to receive quick, online assistance relating to the use of the website. The tool is based on Skype <www.skype.com>, and users can see if the PCU Officer responsible for the website is online and available to give assistance at any given time. This tool has been used successfully to help partners (a) locate documents and sections of the website, (b) add data to the online meta-database, and (c) make posts in the E-Forum.

Figure 9 The Skype-based online “helpdesk” on the UNEPSCS.org homepage.

UNEP/GEF/SCS/PSC.6/Inf.4 Page 8 2.2 Improving Accessibility To South China Sea Project Outputs And Information – Online

SCS Project Information Tools The South China Sea Project has developed a wide range of outputs, including:

• Knowledge documents, • An online South China Sea Meta-Database • An online Geographical Information System for the South China Sea, • An online South China Sea Projects Database, • An online nutrient carrying capacity model for the South China Sea, • Regional Guidelines on (a) the use Fisheries Refugia and (b) Economic Valuation, • A Review of Alternative Regional Instruments and Mechanisms for Marine Environmental

Cooperation in the South China Sea, • An extensive range of community education and awareness materials, • English and national-language reviews of the science and management of marine habitats

and fisheries, • National Action Plans for key marine habitats, and • 69 meeting reports and numerous discussion documents for these meetings.

The implementation of demonstration interventions and pilot activities, the finalisation of National Action Plans and the Strategic Action Programme, and the publication of national reviews in English, will see the number of project outputs grow considerably over the next 1.5 years. A range of information tools have been developed and are available on UNEPSCS.org for use in improving accessibility to these outputs, including the:

• South China Sea Document Repository, • Online South China Sea Meta-Database, • Online South China Sea Geographical Information System, • Online Nutrient Carrying Capacity Model for the South China Sea, • Online South China Sea Projects Database, • Meta-Database Template, • Regional Guidelines Section, • South China Sea Multi-Media Centre, and the • Fisheries Refugia Interactive Mapping Tool. 2.2.1 The South China Sea Document Repository

Figure 10 The SCS Document Repository Interface and Categories Used for Document Storage.


The South China Sea Document Repository is being used to store 114 key project related documents. It is also used to provide ease of access to and the fast downloading of meeting documents. It is possible for project partners to upload documents to the repository if they have been assigned the right to do so. Currently only the PCU can upload documents to the repository. Figure 10 shows the categories in which project documents are stored. All documents are searchable by titles and descriptions.

2.2.2 The Online South China Sea Meta-Database The South China Sea Meta-Database was launched on UNEPSCS.org in February 2006. This tool was developed in collaboration with SEA-RLC and SEA START RC. It provides a central online location for the collation and searching of meta-data regarding coastal habitat, fisheries, and pollution datasets in Southeast Asia (Figure 11). It is a “living” database that can be revised and updated online, providing scientists and managers with a tool they can collaboratively build and share within the region.

Figure 11 Homepage of the SCS Meta-Database on UNEPSCS.org. Many databases developed as part of past environment and fisheries projects in the region have lasted only as long as the projects themselves. The SCS Project has aimed to develop a tool that can be updated and managed by individuals within the countries, and hence continue to be used beyond the life of the Project. A total of 39 habitat, fisheries, and land-based pollution specialists within the region (all Project Component Focal Points and National Technical Focal Points) have been assigned rights to log in to the meta-database and edit existing metadata entries, and add new entries as new data sets become available (Figure 12). It is hoped that assigning responsibility for the meta-database to those working in the countries will assist in building the longer-term sustainability of the tool and provide an effective forum for peer-review of metadata entries.

Figure 12 Member Login Box for the SCS Meta-Database on UNEPSCS.org.

UNEP/GEF/SCS/PSC.6/Inf.4 Page 10 The meta-database currently contains 1029 meta-data entries. During July 2006, the PCU evaluated the quality of each meta-data entry and subsequently provided guidance to all project component focal points regarding how to improve the completeness and usability of their respective entries. The results of this review and the reports provided to each focal point are provided in the meta-data folder of the SCS Website CD distributed during the meeting. This folder also contains the Instruction Guide for revising and adding data to the SCS Meta-Database. This instruction guide was distributed to all project component focal points during 2006.

2.2.3 The Online South China Sea Geographical Information System The aim of the online South China Sea Geographical Information System (SCS GIS) is to provide a facility for the sharing and collaborative development of geographical data and information relating to coral reefs, seagrass, mangroves, wetlands, fisheries, and land-based pollution in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand. The SCS GIS has been in development since 2002, and during the period August 2005-September 2006, SEA-RLC built on the prototype SCS GIS by developing an advanced query tool for data relating to key habitat sites. This tool is still under development, requiring improvements in terms of user friendliness. It was made available on UNEPSCS.org in September 2006 for review and comments from project partners (see Figure 13). The simple query tool of the GIS database enables users to search information for individual coral reef, seagrass, mangroves, and wetland sites. The search output is a complete site characterisation for the selected site (see Figure 14). The advanced query tool provides users with a facility to search information on any/all site features for any/all sites in any/all countries. The output is based on the site features selected and provides useful data summaries for conducting comparative studies of sites (Figure 15).

Figure 13 The Online Interface of the South China Sea Geographical Information System.


Figure 14 A Section of the Simple Search Output for the Phu Quoc Coral Reef Site.

Figure 15 A Section of the Advanced Search Output.


2.2.4 The Online Nutrient Carrying Capacity Model for the South China Sea

The Online South China Sea Nutrient Carrying Capacity Model is a gridded (raster) based modelling system that links chlorophyll concentrations in specific locations of the South China Sea to land-based nutrient loading (see Figure 16). The model runs entirely on Microsoft Excel (including data management, numerical solving, and geospatial visualization) and can be used to estimate the impacts of user-defined nutrient loading scenarios from all major rivers on the nutrient status of the South China Sea. A comprehensive user guide outlining the procedures for (a) downloading model data from the South China Sea Project website, (b) running the model, and (c) modifying nutrient loading scenarios is readily downloadable from the nutrient model section of the South China Sea Project website – http://www.unepscs.org/nutrient_model/. This user guide can also be found in the Nutrient Model folder of the SCS Website CD distributed during the meeting.

Figure 16 The Online Interface for the Online Nutrient Carrying Capacity Model.

2.2.5 The Online South China Sea Projects Database

During the preparatory phase of the South China Sea Project, project component focal points compiled information on past and on-going coral reef, seagrass, mangrove, wetland, fisheries, and land-based pollution projects implemented in areas of the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand. The South China Sea Projects Database (see Figure 17) has been developed to provide a facility for the efficient online storage and searching of this information online.

The Projects Database <http://projects.unepscs.org> is a “living” database. Project Partners can revise and edit existing information in the database via a secure online login. Partners can also easily add information about new projects as it becomes available. Other organisations can also contribute information to the database if their registration for a user account is approved by the PCU. An Instruction Guide on the use of the projects database is readily downloadable from UNEPSCS.org. This guide can also be found in the Projects Database folder of the SCS Website CD distributed during this meeting.


Figure 17 The Homepage of the South China Sea Projects Database.

2.2.6 The Meta-Database Template In addition to supporting the objectives of the SCS Project, the SCS Meta-Database can, through customisation be applied to other projects and organisations. Such technology transfer not only avoids duplication of effort and wasted resources, but allows users to modify the system to meet their own specific requirements. The SCS Meta-Database Template (distributed during the meeting on CD) can be installed and customised to run on Windows operating systems, and once installed, users can insert the logo of their respective organisation, and can change, add, and remove the countries and components to suit their needs. This Meta-Database Template provides a tool for the development of national-level databases in the context of the SCS Project. To aid installation and customising, an instruction guide can be downloaded from UNEPSCS.org. This instruction guide is also available in the meta-database template folder of the SCS Website CD distributed during the meeting.

2.2.7 Regional Guidelines Section Two sets of regional guidelines have been produced through the South China Sea Project. The UNEP/GEF South China Sea Project Regional Guidelines on the Use of Fisheries Refugia for Sustainable Capture Fisheries Management in Southeast Asia (see Figure 18) were published by ASEAN-SEAFDEC in March 2006. These guidelines are downloadable from the Regional Guidelines Section of UNEPSCS.org, and are available to the meeting in hard copy and as an electronic version on CD. The Regional Task Force on Economic Valuation guidelines will be available for download from UNEPSCS.org in the near future.

Figure 18 Regional Guidelines on the Use of Fisheries Refugia.


2.2.8 The South China Sea Multi-Media Centre The PCU has recently received several videos on the implementation of demonstration site activities, sustainable capture fisheries, and the coverage of project activities in TV news. A Multi-Media Centre has been established on UNEPSCS.org to enable the online viewing of these important project outputs (see Figure 19).

Figure 19 The South China Sea Project Multi-Media Centre on UNEPSCS.org.

2.2.9 The Fisheries Refugia Interactive GIS Mapping Tool The fisheries component is working to identify specific locations in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand that may qualify as fisheries refugia. It was identified in mid-2006 that a simple online mapping system showing (a) geographical information about the projects habitat demonstration sites, (b) known inshore nursery and spawning areas for significant fish species, and (c) currently managed areas in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand would greatly enhance the work of this group. In response to this a simple and user friendly Google Earth Mapping system <http://refugia.unepscs.org> has been developed to represent information about specific locations in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand (see Figure 20). This tool has recently been integrated into a web portal that will act as an information system in support of the project activity of establishing a regional system of fisheries refugia. This mapping system is supported by a user friendly and intuitive online tool for adding new sites and revising information about sites online. Fisheries component focal points and staff of SEAFDEC can use this tool for adding and revising sites from their offices.


Figure 20 The Google Earth Interactive GIS Mapping Tool Developed in Support of the

Fisheries Refugia Activity. 2.3 User Log-In Tool To Facilitate Project Partner Contributions To The Project Website By employing the user login facility of the Joomla content management system, it is hoped that project partners will be able to contribute material directly to the project website, which may assist in developing a sense of ownership over the site amongst project partners. It is hoped that in the long-run members of the project partner network can assume high levels of responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the website.

UNEP/GEF/SCS/PSC.6/Inf.4 Page 16 The system distinguishes 5 types of website users:

• Public – who have rights to use all publicly available aspects of the website • Registered – who have rights to use e-forums, contribute news items, and submit web links • Authors – who have rights to create content for the website • Editors – who have rights to decide on what content will be published on the website and

where • Publishers – who have rights to publish content to the website

The level of rights and control over what is published to the website increases from the public user level to the publisher level. Users with higher levels of control over the site also have the same rights as those users with less control, although it is possible to restrict the rights or level of control of all users to specific parts of the site. For instance, the manager of a demonstration site may be assigned publisher level rights to a part of the website relating to that demonstration site, and be assigned registered user rights for the rest of the site.

2.3.1 User Registration and the Distribution of a Website Instructional Guide All project partners were registered as users of the website and in January 2006 usernames and passwords were sent to each individual by e-mail. All project partners can update their own online profiles, participate in the e-forums, and submit basic content such as news items, information about upcoming events, and web links to the website. Any basic content submitted to the site by these users will not go public until the PCU reviews, approves, and publishes the material in the private administration area of the website. It is intended that as registered users become familiar with the basics of the website, selected focal points, regional experts, and demonstration site managers will be assigned authoring and editorial rights for the parts of the website relating to the Regional Working Groups, Regional Task Forces, and Demonstration Sites that they are associated with. Initially, the action of actually publishing the changes made to the website by these users will remain the responsibility of the PCU, although it is possible for the PCU to assign publisher rights to skilled users if desired. A comprehensive instruction guide on the use of the South China Sea Project website has also been prepared and was e-mailed to all project partners in February 2006. This guide is available for download from UNEPSCS.org and has been made available to the meeting in the Website Instruction Guide folder of the SCS Website CD accompanying this document.

2.3.2 Agreements of the Regional Working Groups and Task Forces regarding the Use of the Website

Each of the project’s Regional Working Groups and Task Forces were introduced to the key features of UNEPSCS.org during 2006. They were also asked to reach agreement regarding how the project website and e-mail network can be used to improve communication between members of their working groups/task forces and for extending information about the activities of their respective project component/sub-component to the SCS Project Network and other interested parties. The agreements reached are summarised in Table 3.


Table 3 Agreements Reached Regarding the Use of UNEPSCS.org by the Regional Working

Groups and Task Forces.

Working Group/Task Force

Agreement Reached Regarding the Use of UNEPSCS.org

Seventh Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Fisheries

• Use of E-forums as and if required

Seventh Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Wetlands

• Agreement to post news items and articles on wetland component activities on the RWG-W page

• Agreement to establish and participate in an e-forum discussion that would form the basis for the drafting of an initial design for a regional monitoring system for estuarine waters by the end of August 2006

• Agreement to participate in an e-forum discussion on wetland sub-component inputs to the Regional Strategic Action Programme

Seventh Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Coral Reefs

• Agreement to add links to local language websites on coral reefs to UNEPSCS.org • Agreement to establish and participate in an e-forum discussion on the listing of

Napolean wrasse in Appendix II of CITES • Agreement to revise and update the meta-database by 31st August 2006

Seventh Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Seagrass

• Agreement to post inputs to the Regional Strategic Action Programme in the seagrass e-forum

• Agreement to revise and add new meta-data to the online meta-database by the end of September 2006

Seventh Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Land-Based Pollution

• Agreement that an e-forum for land-based pollution problems would be established and that Dr. Arifin would serve as moderator

• Agreement that existing metadata entries would be up-dated on-line and that (a) new meta-data would be added by 10th September, and (b) available GIS data would be submitted by the end of September.

Seventh Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Mangroves

• Agreement that each member of the RWG-M would take sequential responsibility for stimulating a mangrove e-forum discussion for one month, starting with Dr. Tri, in October, followed by Mr. Santoso, November, and then proceeding in reverse alphabetical order starting with Viet Nam. Each member would, as the moderator for the month, post no more than two topics and initiate and encourage discussion.

Fifth Meeting of the Regional Task Force on Economic Valuation

• Agreement to trial the use of the e-forum to stimulate inter-sessional communication amongst the group

Fourth and Fifth Meeting of the Regional Task Force on Legal Matters

• Agreement to establish an e-forum moderated by Mr. Nizam Basiron [4th Meeting) • Agreement that members would log onto the website at least once a month

3 USAGE OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA PROJECT WEBSITE The AWStats software package was used to monitor South China Sea Project website usage during September 2006. The purpose of this was to provide some insight into the effectiveness of the website in terms of improving (a) accessibility to South China Sea Project outputs and information, and (b) communication between project partners. 3.1 ACCESS TO SOUTH CHINA SEA OUTPUTS AND INFORMATION IN SEPTEMBER 2006

3.1.1 Summary of Visits to UNEPSCS.org in September 2006 A total of 8246 unique visits were made to UNEPSCS.org from 1st-30th September 2006. A total of 36810 pages were accessed by these users during this period (see Figure 4). The daily average number of unique visits and pages accessed during this same period were 275 and 1227, respectively. The highest daily number of unique visits was 553 on 17th September. The highest number of pages accessed in a day was 5545 on 9th September.


Table 4 Summary of Visits to UNEPSCS.org from 1st – 30th September 2006. Usage Monthly

Total Monthly Range

Daily Average

Description

Number of Unique Visits

8246 102-553 275 A unique visitor is a host that has made at least 1 hit on 1 page of the website during the monthly reporting period. If this host make several visits during the month, it is counted only once.

Number of Pages Accessed

36810 308-5545 1227 The total number of pages viewed during all visits to the website during the monthly reporting period.

Number of Hits 86540 967-7149 2885 Any files requested from the server (including the pages viewed). This includes all clicks to access images, documents, weblinks, and other content.

More than 40 percent of visitors spent more than 5 minutes viewing UNEPSCS.org per visit. Approximately 15 percent of visitors spent longer than 30 minutes on the site (Table 5).

Table 5 Duration of Visits to UNEPSCS.org from 1st – 30th September 2006.

Duration Number of Unique Visits Percentage 0sec-30sec 2328 28.2 30sec-2min 1348 16.3 2min-5min 1029 12.5 5min-15min 1966 23.8 15min-30min 423 5.1 30min-1hr 597 7.2 1hr+ 555 6.7 8246 100

The number of pages viewed during a visit to the website was also monitored. This is typically referred to as the depth of visit. Table 6 summarises the depth of visits to UNEPSCS.org during September 2006. Approximately 20 percent of visitors left the site after having only viewed the page that they entered the site on. Nearly 25 percent of visitors clicked through more than 5 pages of the site during their visit, and more than 6 percent of all visitors accessed 20 or more pages in a given visit to the site. The sections of UNEPSCS.org that were accessed first by most new visitors after having arrived at the UNEPSCS.org homepage were the demonstration site (24%), GIS and Meta-Database (18%), Regional Working Group and Task Force (15%), E-Forum (12%), and SCS Documents (11%) sections.

Table 6 The depth of visits to UNEPSCS.org during September 2006.

Pages Percentage of Visits 1 19.91 2 14.78 3 18.54 4 15.29 5 7.30 6 3.48 7 2.67 8 1.60 9 2.17

10 1.15 11 1.21 12 1.21 13 0.92 14 0.71 15 0.73 16 0.79 17 0.45 18 0.42 19 0.42

20+ 6.26


Table 7 The sections of UNEPSCS.org that were accessed first by most new visitors

after having arrived at the UNEPSCS.org homepage.

Section Percentage of Visitors Demonstration Sites 24.4 GIS and Meta-Database 18.3 RWGs & RTFs 14.6 E-Forum 12.2 SCS Documents 11.0 Other 19.5

3.1.2 Summary of Visits to UNEPSCS.org in September 2006 by Country

The 8246 unique visits to UNEPSCS.org during September 2006 came from a total of 72 countries. All participating countries, except Cambodia featured in the top 25 countries in terms of pages accessed. The average number of hits (i.e., clicks to access images, documents, weblinks, and other content) per page accessed was 2.3. Interestingly, significantly high hits per page accessed were recorded for all participating countries, except Thailand (see Table 8). This perhaps demonstrates a higher relevance of the content of the website to these countries when compared with other regions. Table 8 The main countries where UNEPSCS.org was accessed from during September

2006 (based on number of pages accessed from 1st–30th September 2006).

Country Code Pages Accessed Hits Hits Per Page Accessed

United States us 20654 43671 2.1 Germany de 1445 1550 1.1 Australia au 1190 4812 4.0 Netherlands nl 849 1156 1.4 Thailand th 712 1347 1.9 Hong Kong hk 657 3062 4.7 Italy it 507 1049 2.1 Canada ca 505 835 1.7 Philippines ph 294 1760 6.0 Singapore sg 262 1080 4.1 Great Britain gb 260 477 1.8 China cn 243 1737 7.1 Spain es 204 204 1.0 Switzerland ch 200 424 2.1 Taiwan tw 200 740 3.7 Malaysia my 178 1555 8.7 Vietnam vn 160 699 4.4 Brazil br 143 247 1.7 Czech Republic cz 123 123 1.0 Hungary hu 120 120 1.0 Indonesia id 118 718 6.1 France fr 115 184 1.6 Poland pl 103 103 1.0 European Union* eu 1582 2555 1.6 Unknown ip 4692 12985 2.8 Cambodia kh 40 186 4.7 Other (48 countries) - 1254 3119 2.6 36810 86498 2.3

* European Union (eu) means that the visitor came from a European Union country but it was not possible to determine the actual country in which the visitor’s host was located.


3.1.3 Websites with Permanent Links to UNEPSCS.org from 1st – 30th September 2006

An important factor influencing the rating given to UNEPSCS.org by key search engines such as Google and Yahoo is the number of inbound links to the website. The following is a list of the main websites with inbound links that were used to access UNEPSCS.org during September 2006:

• http://kochang.ru • http://www.spratlys.org/collection/environment.htm • http://www.urbanquality.net • http://www.roap.unep.org • http://aseanbiodiversity.org • http://aqd.seafdec.org.ph • http://iwsea.org • http://www.unep.org • http://www.pawb.gov.ph/scsp/index.htm [SEA for Philippines Wetlands] • http://environment-directory.org • http://www.marinepcd.org [SEA for Thailand Land-Based Pollution] • http://www.ioseaturtles.org/useful • http://metadata.unepscs.org • http://refugia.unepscs.org • http://projects.unepscs.org • http://oils.gpa.unep.org • http://www.chem.unep.ch/mercury • http://www.imer.ac.vn:3000/WorldClient.dll • http://ecotourism.org • http://seagrass.scsio.ac.cn/ [SEA for China Seagrass) • http://www.iwlearn.net • http://www.whois.sc/unepscs.org • http://www.feedcat.net/showrss.php • http://www.eodegrees.com • http://www.questionanswering.com/cgi-bin/answerbus/answer.cgi • http://www.cobsea.org/links.html • http://www.technorati.com/blogs/http://www.unepscs.org • http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/ • http://www1.baidu.com • http://www.denr.gov.ph [Focal Ministry Philippines] • http://plone-dev.unep.org • http://globeofblogs.com • http://scholar.google.com

Very few of the Project’s Focal Ministries and Specialised Executing Agencies have placed permanent links on their websites to the South China Sea Project website. The PCU e-mailed the partner network on multiple occasions during 2006 with some custom icons and logos for use in creating links to the project site.

3.1.4 Summary of Document Downloads from UNEPSCS.org from 1st – 30th September 2006

Table 8 Summary of document downloads from UNEPSCS.org from 1st – 30th September 2006 by document type.

Document Type Total Number of

Documents Total Number of

Downloads Downloads per

Document per month Knowledge Document 1 29 29 Regional Habitat Reviews 4 68 17 Demonstration Site Documents 15 208 13.9 Regional Working Group Meeting Reports

49 293 6

Project Background Documents 13 68 5.2 PSC and RSTC Meeting Reports 14 49 3.5 Miscellaneous Documents 7 23 3.3 Regional Task Force Meeting Reports 10 30 3

Totals 113 768 6.8


3.2 Project Network Members Contributions To The Project Website

3.2.1 Summary of Project Network Member Contributions to the Project Website and Associated tools

The level of Network Members contributions to the project website will influence the longer-term sustainability of this tool. The following number of Network Members have performed the projects website related tasks below:

• Logged into UNEPSCS.org since January 2006 (32 partners) • Contributed material to the SCS Blog (3 partners) • Contributed materials to the Demonstration Site pages (5 partners) • Revised the SCS Meta-Database online (2 partners) • Replied to or contributed information to e-newsletter (5 partners) • Participated in e-forum discussions (15 partners)

3.2.2 Analysis of Project Network Member Usage of the SCS E-Forum from 1st – 30th

September 2006

Table 9 Project Network Member Usage of the SCS E-Forum from 1st – 30th September 2006.

E-Forum Topic Date Established

Number of Posts

from PCU

Number of Posts

from Network Members

Number of Network Members

Participating

Number of Page Views

during September

2006 Establishing a Mechanism to Exchange Information, Experience and Expertise on Environmental Law in the Region

5th May 2006 3 5 2 195

Demonstration Site Information Exchange 12th June 2006 1 1 1 99 Inputs of the Wetlands Sub-Component to the Regional Strategic Action Programme 27th June 2006 1 3 2 148

Establishing a Wetland Monitoring System for the South China Sea 27th June 2006 1 0 0 84

The Listing of the Humphead (Napolean) Wrasse in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

18th July 2006 1 0 1 86

Inputs of the Seagrass Sub-Component to the Regional Strategic Action Programme 1st August 2006 2 7 7 228

RTF-E: After Meeting Concerns 30th August 2006 0 1 1 98

Mangroves Management Issues 25th September 2006 1 1 1 57

Regional Task Force on Legal Matters’ Inputs to the Regional Strategic Action Programme

20th September 2006 1 0 0 47

Totals 11 18 15 1042 4 AN OVERVIEW OF PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF

UNEPSCS.ORG DURING 2006 4.1 Maintenance Of Website Back-Ups By Sea-Rlc/Sea Start Rc Until October 2005, the South China Sea Project Website was hosted on a Windows server maintained by SEA START RC in Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University. In the final quarter of 2005 the Southeast Asian Regional Learning Centre (SEA-RLC), an IW:LEARN Project managed by SEA START RC, and SEA START RC undertook to host the project website on a Linux server. Linux servers are preferred for hosting websites as they are more secure and can handle significantly more requests (visits, downloads) in a given time then a Windows server using the same hardware. Linux accounts for approximately 85-90 percent of all web servers worldwide. The new project website grew in size significantly from November 2005 to February 2006, such that the maintenance of site back-ups by the PCU from a remote location was not possible. The PCU

UNEP/GEF/SCS/PSC.6/Inf.4 Page 22 discussed this with SEA-RLC/SEA START RC and it was agreed that SEA-RLC/SEA START RC would make and store regular backups of the project website directly from their server. The PCU regularly met with staff of SEA-RLC/SEA START RC and was assured on all occasions, and regularly by e-mail and phone, that complete back-ups of the site were being maintained on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Unfortunately the hard-disk containing the project website failed in the early morning of 10th August 2006. It is even more unfortunate that SEA-RLC/SEA START RC have been unable to produce a back-up of the website either on CD/DVD or on a back-up hard-disk since then. On 12th August 2006 the PCU was advised by SEA-RLC/SEA START RC that the hard disk had failed while their computer specialist was conducting a backup of the website. It was explained that the main “.sql” database file for the website had been corrupted as a result of this. The SEA-RLC computer specialist noted that since he had only been doing incremental backups of the website database, no full backup of the website’s main database had been done for many months. SEA-RLC/SEA START RC subsequently provided Mr. Christopher Paterson of the PCU with (a) a copy of the corrupted “.sql” database file for the website, (b) SEA-RLC’s most recent non-corrupt full backup of the database for the website (a comma separated value (CSV) file), and (c) SEA-RLC’s most complete backup of all the content files (e.g. PDF documents) for the website. The PCU identified a range of problems with each of these backups, and it is now clear that these backups were never checked by SEA-RLC. A detailed analysis of all files indicates that the website may not have been backed up in full by SEA-RLC since February 2006. Repairing one of the backed up databases and repopulating the site with individual content files saved by the PCU involved in excess of 200 hours of PCU time between 12th – 31st August 2006.

4.1.1 Problems with the Back-up Files for the South China Sea Project Website The corrupt “.sql” database file: The main “.sql” database file for the website was badly corrupted. The corruption appears to be due to the failure of the hard-disk containing the file during a manually generated incremental back-up of the database. A close analysis of the file contents suggests that the “increment” being added to the file was very large and likely involved at least 4 months data. Also, the way in which the file was backed up resulted in data for all tables being dropped into one continuous section of code without any notation. It is very difficult to determine which tables of the database the data contained in the file are from. The PCU has asked SEA-RLC/SEA START RC why the database was dumped in this format and it was explained that it was the fastest option. The computer specialist of SEA-RLC has subsequently indicated that he does not know how to import this file into a MySQL database. The Comma Separated Value (CSV) file: The CSV file presented appears to be uncorrupted. Unfortunately, however, all tables were dumped into an individual file without any notation for each table. Typically when making back-ups of a “.sql” database file in CSV format, a separate CVS file is created for each database table dumped with notation describing the table and how it relates to other tables. It was apparent that rebuilding a database with 70 tables for this data would have likely required more than 1 weeks work. Another problem encountered with this file is that the data formats appear to be incompatible with the data formats of the table which may have resulted in null values being inserted or complete failure. The PCU communicated with the computer specialist of SEA-RLC/SEA START RC regarding why the data were dumped in this format and without notation. The computer specialist of SEA-RLC has subsequently indicated that he does not know how to import this file into a MySQL database and suggested that the PCU should work out how to do this. Unfortunately this file contained no valid timestamp type entry and it was not possible to reliably ascertain the actual age of this file. Typically there are timestamp fields within some of the tables and these fields would generate a UNIX timestamp on update or creation. This stamp could have helped greatly in identifying the age of this file. In attempt to obtain a clearer picture of the age of this file, I investigated each data entry and did find 1 readable format that indicates this file may have been created sometime toward the end of February/early March. In comparing each of the entries in the “.sql” file described above and this CSV file, I was unable to identify any data to suggest that this file was any younger than 1 March 2006.


SEA-RLC/SEA START RC’s most recent back up of all content folders and files: SEA-RLC/SEA START RC also presented their most recent back up all content folders and files. The PCU manually checked the creation date of each of the files contained in these folders and then created a list of files and their creation dates using the Total Commander file management program. All files are no younger than 1 March 2006. It contained no PDF files that were uploaded any more recently than 31st December 2005.

The administrator content folder contains manual back-ups of the database. The youngest of these back-ups is dated 17th February 2006 at 09:12. This 17th February database contains over 70 tables, however, due to the way the tables had been dumped from the database, none of the files would import directly into a MySQL database version 4.1.12 or 4.1.19 although the export files suggest that they are generated from a server version 4.1.x. An initial analysis of the file highlighted 65,000 improperly delimited fields and 3 tables that had mismatching data were identified.

4.1.2 Creating a Usable Website Database File from the Back-Ups

It appeared that the CSV file and the most recent database backup contained in the content folders were both no younger than 1 March 2006. The analysis of the corrupt “.sql” database file suggested that this file had not been backed up for quite some time and the backup perhaps failed due to the large increment being added to the file. It is of course very difficult to say that this is exactly what happened, but since the content files, PDFs, etc also hadn’t been backed up for some time, it is likely that back-ups hadn’t been done or the back-up procedure hadn’t worked since the end of February 2006. Backing up such a large increment could lead to hard disk failure especially if the disk was old and not maintained under optimal conditions for a server. On the basis that the 3 backups appeared to be of very similar ages, the PCU estimated the time involved in fixing the problems with each of the three 3 database backups. The complete lack of notation from the corrupt “.sql” and CSV files, and the haphazard way in which these files were created, dissuaded me from attempting to rebuild the database. There was simply no guarantee that, what looked to be more than a week’s work to reconcile each of the 70 tables to the data formats and to repair any incompatibilities would enable restoration of either of the databases. It was decided to work with the most recent non-corrupt back-up dated 17th February. Repairing the 65,000 fields that were improperly delimited and the 3 tables that had mismatching data involved several days work, mainly locating all mismatched data and rebuilding of the tables.

4.1.3 Setting up the Repaired Website Database The PCU decided to load the rebuilt database to a commercial Linux server in order to assess what areas of the site would require re-development with content back-ups made by the PCU. All post-February 2006 work was lost, and nearly all major internal links were broken and all permissions reset. I spent several days fixing these major structural problems with the site. The PCU then instructed the Computer Specialist of SEA-RLC/SEA START RC (the then registered owner of the domain unepscs.org) to point the nameservers for the domain unepscs.org to the IP address of the server where I was testing. Once UNEPSCS.org had resolved to the new IP address, I set the recovered site up at this domain. This provided our users with access to the site. The host sent daily backups to the PCU on CD during the initial 3 weeks involved in re-developing the site. Full backs are made each day and saved on several back-up drives by the host. The host maintains daily, weekly, and monthly back-ups, and now sends a complete and tested back-up of the website to the PCU each week. The Project Director subsequently decided that UNEPSCS.org should be hosted commercially whilst work is being undertaken to restabilise the site.

4.2 Relocation of the Online South China Sea Meta-Database from the SEA-RLC Server to the New SCS Project Server and Associated Problems

While resolving the problems with the SCS Project Website, the PCU checked the status of the online South China Sea Meta-database. It was not possible to determine how regularly this tool was being backed up by IW-SEA-RLC, the PCU very easily uncovered a critical security flaw in this tool. The URL http://metadata.unepscs.org/phpmyadmin was not “.htaccess” protected, providing direct access to the administration area of the database for this tool to anyone. Anyone could have simply dropped any and all tables from the databases (see Figures 21 and 22).


Figure 21 The phpMyAdmin area of the SCS Meta-Database when hosted by SEA-RLC/SEA

START RC (this page had no security protection).

Figure 22 A table of the meta-database (this page had no security protection).


Given the project’s experience in relation to the backup of the SCS Project website, it is perhaps very fortunate that this security flaw was not exploited by an undergraduate IT student or the like practicing newly learned tricks. It was also identified that the configuration file settings for all SEA-RLC/SEA START RC databases had been set to the username: root with a blank password. This is the default login for MySQL and the first combination of username and password used by hackers. It was at this stage that it was decided that it was in the best interest of the SCS Project to relocate the meta-database from the SEA-RLC/SEA START RC server to the professional hosting service being used for the SCS Project website. Several problems where identified in doing this.

4.2.1 Incompatibility of the Meta-Database Script with Linux Servers It is currently standard coding practice to ensure the cross-platform compatibility of scripts used to run applications such as the SCS Meta-Database, i.e., the script should work on both Windows and Linux servers. Windows servers are not case-sensitive whereas Linux servers are. A review of popular coding texts suggest that it is currently very poor practice to rely on Windows’ lack of case sensitivity when coding for database (or any) applications, as an application that works on a Windows server will not likely work on Linux. Unfortunately it appears that, this standard has not been followed by SEA-RLC/SEA START RC in developing the SCS meta-database. Upon the completion of the meta-database application SEA-RLC advised the PCU that it was both Windows and Linux compatible. In fact the instruction manual prepared by SEA-RLC for the installation of the meta-database files (the meta-database template) for the development of customised meta-databases gives guidance on how to set the application up on a Linux server. It was on this basis that the PCU installed the meta-database on the commercial Linux server used to host UNEPSCS.org. The first problem noticed was database queries that attempted to query non-existent fields in the tables. There also appeared to be an inconsistency in the manner in which the tables were queried. Despite this the application ran initially, however the problems above appeared to cause a large number of error reports to be generated, and it was necessary to run the application with display errors off in phpMyAdmin. This seemed to slow the application down considerably (a well written and stable script should run with the phpMyAdmin display errors turned on and not generate any error reports). The main incompatibility with Linux servers became apparent when testing the revision and adding of data to the meta-database. These actions created all manner of errors for registered users, such that it was not either possible to add or revise entries in the database from the front end interface. This led to a close analysis of the script which enabled the identification of a range of critical problems. The main problem was the lack of consistency in the capitalisation in the script, an example of which is detailed in Information Box 1. The problem described in Information Box 1 is common throughout the script. The script contains 0.5 megabytes of code, or approximately 12,000-15,000 lines of code. The identification and resolution of each of these problems would likely take an experienced programmer 2-3 weeks. This would be complicated by a range of other “bugs” in the script. The PCU has identified areas where SEA-RLC programmers have used “hacks” in an attempt to fix bugs, but attempts to decipher the code are restricted as no comments have been included in the code. The key problem with this is that it would be extremely difficult for a programmer to (a) understand the functionality of the script, and (b) customise the script. In fact, it would perhaps be easier for a programmer to rebuild the application properly rather than attempting to interpret any of the code. Due to these problems it was necessary to set the meta-database up on a commercial windows server, where it is now operating with full functionality. Several major changes were made to the online interface to improve the user-friendliness of the tool following stabilisation of the site on the new server.


Information Box 1 Incompatibility of the Meta-Database Application with Linux Servers

Incorrect Coding in the Meta-Database Script – Inconsistent Capitalisation The following is an example of the use of inconsistent capitalisation of the meta-database script code, leading to an incompatibility of the application with Linux servers. It is only one example of many similar cases in the script. Note the shaded, bold text “ParameterSubMain” in the meta-database code below. Here the code is telling the script to access the database table named “ParameterSubMain”. Please note that the code has the table name with the use of capital letters. The problem with this is apparent when you refer to the meta-database’s list of tables in Figure 23 below. Here “parametersubmain” is written without the use of capital letters. This situation does not create problems on Windows servers due to their lack of case sensitivity. Linux servers on the other hand are case sensitive and when the script looks for “ParameterSubMain” it can’t find it as the table it is looking for has been named without the use of capitals “parametersubmain”. This creates an error and loss of some of the functionality of the application. It was initially thought that this problem could be resolved by doing a “Find and Replace” of ParameterSubMain with parametersubmain. This could not be done, however, as a closer investigation of the script identified that ParameterSubMain had been used as a “field” name in another area of the database (see Figure 24 below). The “Find and Replace” would change this field name to lower case, creating a similar problem to that described above. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- if ($Parameter[$i] != "" ) { $sqlPm="SELECT`ParameterSubMain`.`ParameterGroupID`FROM `ParameterSubMain` WHERE (`ParameterSubMain`.`ParameterSubMainID` = '$Parameter[$i]') "; //echo "sqlPm=".$sqlPm."<BR>"; $dbqueryPm=mysql_db_query($dbname,$sqlPm); $resultPm=mysql_fetch_array($dbqueryPm); $ParameterGroupID=$resultPm["ParameterGroupID"]; -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Figure 23 The List of Tables of the Meta-Database in phpMyAdmin.


Figure 24 A List of Fields in a Table of the Meta-Database.

4.2.2 Other Problems with the South China Sea Meta-Database The meta-database is also characterised by the heavy use of “Microsoft only” client side scripting which may hinder those using the application with web-browsers other than Microsoft Internet Explorer. There appear to be minor problems with how browsers such as FireFox, Opera, and Knqueror display the site. The SCS Meta-Database is a valuable output of the South China Sea Project and can be built upon beyond the life of the project. The existing coding problems should be resolved in order to minimise future problems associated with the increasing use of Linux-based servers and to reduce the occurrence of “bugs” in the application that may reduce user confidence in the tool in the longer-run.

4.2.3 The Meta-Database Template The Meta-Database Template was developed to assist participating countries in the establishment of national level databases. The experience gained through the South China Sea Project suggests that most Specialised Executing Agencies and other participating organisations do not have good access to database specialists, and this tool was aimed at enabling a scientist with minimal database experience to easily set-up and manage a meta-database. The installation guide (included in the SCS Website CD) certainly describes how to set-up a meta-database, but the experience of the PCU is that the user would require quite advanced database skills to do this successfully. Given the on-going shortage of skilled database personnel in the region and the need for usable information management tools in many countries, consideration could be given to further development of the template to include an interactive and automated interface for use in guiding a non-specialist through the set-up procedure.

4.3 Completion of the South China Sea Geographical Information System An advanced query/search function has been developed for the habitat components of the SCS GIS. There is however a need for significant improvement to the user friendliness of the GIS interface, including the development of a collapsible country/component tree for use in selecting sites, better integration of the advanced search function into the GIS main page, improvements in terms of the sensitivity of the map zoom tool, and functions for the export of maps and data. Each of these have been communicated to SEA-RLC/SEA START RC, however, these organisations have been unable to complete these tasks, apparently due to a lack of resources.

UNEP/GEF/SCS/PSC.6/Inf.4 Page 28 The PCU was also recently advised that SEA-RLC/SEA START RC would be unable to support the South China Sea Project in the development of an online updating function for the GIS. 4.4 Ensuring the Long-Term Financial Sustainability of the South China Sea Project

Website The recent problems with website suggest that it would cost approximately $200-300 per year to have the site hosted commercially. This cost does not include the time of the person maintaining and testing back-ups of the site and doing routine maintenance of the database and website platform, including the installation of new software versions and security fixes as they become available. The PCU has experimented with the use of Google advertising and the site has generated approximately US$70.00 since April 2006. Some options for income generation from the site include (a) seeking sponsors for the site, and (b) creating opportunities for organisations (perhaps large Universities dealing with marine affairs/science) to pay for advertising on the site and in the monthly e-newsletter. 5 CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF UNEPSCS.ORG 5.1 Improving Communication During 2006 the SCS Project has made significant improvements in the use of the project website for facilitating communication between project partners and other interested parties. The E-Forum facility is potentially the most powerful of these for improving inter-sessional communication on substantive matters, however, usage of this tool to date has been modest. Despite all Regional Working Groups and Task Forces making commitments to establish and participate in e-forums, and 1042 views of e-forum topics in September 2006, there have been only 18 posts in the forum from 15 partners since 5th May 2006. This experience raises some important questions regarding the use of such online communication tools in multi-country projects in Southeast Asia. Informal discussions, and even the reports of some working meetings, indicate that project partners are interested in exploring how such e-forums can be used in support of project activities, but to date there has only been no action, talk only. Is this due to anxieties about posting text in a second language on a public forum, partners not having enough time, or the e-forum being difficult for some to find and use? It is of course most likely a mixture of these plus others. Perhaps the more important questions for the SCS Network at this stage are (a) is it worth the effort of the PCU in exploring ways to improve partner contributions to and participation in these Internet-based initiatives?, (b) if so, what support can be provided from within the network for this?, and (c) what level of responsibility is a group such as the Regional Scientific and Technical Committee willing to accept for the oversight and stimulation of related activities? The answers to the above questions have implications for other aspects of UNEPSCS.org. For example the information pages for the demonstrations sites, and Regional Working Groups and Task Forces are the most popular first destinations for new visitors to UNEPSCS.org. With an average of 275 unique visitors to UNEPSCS.org a day during September 2006, and nearly 37,000 pages accessed during that same month, these sections of the website represent a very useful means of sharing information about the activities being conducted in demonstration sites, and by working groups and task forces. They are also fully updateable by project partners, but contributions so far have been few. The entire website and associated tools (including the “blog”, meta-database, projects database, refugia mapping system) have been designed to include an online updating facility. Use of these updating facilities by partners has been low despite detailed instruction guides having been sent to all partners by e-maill, posted online, and distributed in hard-copy on CD. Partners have also received regular words of encouragement in this regard from the PCU via e-mail, the monthly e-newsletter, and during regional meetings. Can the PCU make it any easier for partners to contribute content? If so, how?


The monthly E-Newsletter and the RSS Feeds of SCS Project news have been developed to improve the extension of project news and information to project partners and other parties. The E-Newsletter has received positive feedback from several partners, the GEF Secretariat, and supporting organisations such as SEAFDEC. The project has also been identified as the only project in the International Waters community to have successfully developed and implemented RSS Feeds for broader syndication of project information. How do we ensure the wider use of these tools to disseminate project information in participating countries? Should we add members of national committees to the e-newsletter mailing list? How do we get partner organisations to include the SCS RSS News Feeds into their websites? 5.2 Improving Accessibility to Project Outputs Eight substantive project outputs have been made available on UNEPSCS.org since February 2006. These include the meta-database, GIS with advanced search, nutrient carrying capacity model, projects database, meta-database template, regional guidelines section, multi-media centre, and the fisheries refugia interactive mapping tool. The SCS document repository launched at the 2nd Regional Scientific Conference in November 2006 appears to be providing for ease of access to project documents. Approximately 25 documents were downloaded from UNEPSCS.org per day during the month of September 2006. 5.3 Monitoring Website Usage The PCU trialled the monitoring of website visitor logs during September 2006. Do we need to be monitoring usage? If so, what should we monitor? 5.4 Website Problems A range of problems were encountered during 2006, largely as a result of a computer system failure at SEA-RLC/SEA START RC. Given the large investment made in UNEPSCS.org and associated online project tools, is the use of a commercial host more appropriate than “free” hosting at SEA-RLC/SEA START RC? Given the usefulness of the meta-database, is it appropriate to consider revising the code for the script that runs the application? Given the need for user-friendly information management tools in the region, should we work to further improve accessibility to the meta-database template? Given an apparent skills shortage at SEA-RLC/SEA START RC, is there benefit in seeking external assistance for the completion of the GIS tool, including the online updating function? CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A number of questions have been posed throughout this document and the Regional Scientific and Technical Committee is requested to:

• Review the contents of the document and provide comments as appropriate;

• Advise on the questions raised;

• Consider how the members of the SCS network can be encouraged to contribute more fully to the website, with a view to assuming responsibility in the longer term for maintenance of sections of the site;

• Discuss and recommend on the final location of the website.