GRID-Arendal is a center collaborating with UN Environment. They communicate environmental knowledge that strengthens management capacity and motivates decision-makers to act. They transform environmental data into credible, science-based information products, delivered through innovative communication tools and capacity building efforts.

The roots of the Shelf Programme date back to 1998 when scientists from Norway began to understand the difficulty that many developing States were likely to encounter in their effort to define their extended continental shelf. From 2004, GRID-Arendal has led awareness raising and capacity development efforts to ensure developing states complete all requirements related to lodging a formal submission to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.

The Geocap software provided one integrated platform that allowed countries to compile, process, interpret and store all the data and metadata necessary to support their continental shelf submissions. It remains the only software package that can handle all forms of relevant data from seismic to bathymetric amongst others.

This integrated capability, as well as the ability to deploy custom modules, also allowed for GRID-Arendal to training national experts with skills relevant to marine resource management and spatial planning. 

About GRID-Arendal

About Geocap Shelf