Problem overview:

     Integrating stakeholders: Assessment of open ocean and deep-water resources requires sophisticated and expensive research equipment. Harvesting the resources is also high-tech and beyond the means of lesser-developed nations. The establishment of ZoNeCo, an intergovernmental co-operation between the Government of France and New Caledonia, will help counter this weakness.

     Meeting information requirements: The use of sophisticated equipment, such as satellite images and GIS as an integrated economic decision-making tool will facilitate decision-makers on how to sustainably utilize deep sea fisheries and mineral resources.

Background in summary:

     Joint cooperation set up the ZoNeCo: In 1990, New Caledonia and the Government of France set up a research programme called ZoNeCo (Zone Economique de Nouvelle-Caledonie) to assess the marine resources of the EEZ. A core group of executives from participating agencies met on a regular basis to outline the scope of the project, assign particular tasks to its members, and deal with financial issues.

     Integration of GIS for database management: The project produced maps of the ocean floor and identified the mineral and biological resources. ZoNeCo wealth of information was integrated in a computerized GIS database, for use in economic development. The results are available to all participating agencies and the maps produced by the GIS are easily understood by non-scientists.

     Public access of information through the internet: There is also an Internet site presenting information about the project to the public sector. Policy makers and industrial interests regularly reference the database for economic decision making.

     The end users: of the ZoNeCo programme are its partners including the French and International scientific community, commercial fisheries entities in the new Caledonia and France and other countries, local mining/oil companies, French mining/oil companies and other international mining/oil companies.

     Contribution to sustainable use of resources: Such compilation of data has greatly facilitated sustainable use of resources and will assist decision-makers on approval of fisheries and mineral resource exploitation programmes. Consequently, the results will assist in integrating environmental considerations in the planning of exploitation of natural resources mainly fisheries and minerals.

Peer Review Committee Good practice rating: (1 for the best, 5 for the lowest score)
Sustainability		Efficiency
3	Improvement in either the environment of economic condition with no harm to the other.	2	Cost efficient.
2	Sustainable over time (not one-off)	Process
Adaptability		-	Participation of the community
3	Location adaptability (can the project be done in other places?)	2	Participation of resource owners/users
3	Socio-cultural adaptability.	2	Partnerships between various actors (Governments, NGO, Academia, Private)
2	Level of development adaptability.	2	Degree of coordination and cooperation between government departments.
3	Style of government adaptability.	2	Ability to attract political interest/support
3	Degree of decentralization adaptability.	2	Procedures for feedback and review.
Comments on this example:       The project owes a considerable portion of its success to the individual people involved. The key people were well liked and well connected in government circles. In particular, the official in charge of the Administration's data centre liked the project and was willing to go out of his way to foster a feeling of co-operation and friendship between the other key members of the executive team that coordinated ZoNeCo. The impact of personal commitment , a friendly environment, and willing participants cannot be underestimated. Sustainability of the project:   Adaptability of the project to other situations:      Integrating stakeholders: Deep-sea studies are beyond the means of many countries, but the lesson here is how New Caledonia was able to pool its financial and human resources to conduct a specific scientific campaign. Almost any kind of resource information could be gained the same way. The project demonstrates the multiplier effect of government and academic agencies working together towards a specific, well-defined goal. Process of decision making and implementation:      Meeting information requirements: Although gathering data in deep sea environment is very a difficult task, but if the data gathered could become useful information for decision-making, especially when it comes to decisions concerning sustainability, then every effort should be worthwhile, because it means that future environmental problems can be prevented from that decision. Cost efficiency:      Since database on deep sea fishery and mineral resources in New Caledonia will be accessible via internet, then it is not going to be only the Government of France and New Caledonia that will be benefiting from this information, but it would be the rest of the World. This could be implied that, although a considerable amount of money has been invested into obtaining this data, but the per capita cost will keep on reducing as more and more people could utilize this information.