• Protected Areas

    The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is the most comprehensive global spatial data set on marine and terrestrial protected areas available. Protected area data are provided via Protected Planet, the online interface for the WDPA. The WDPA is a joint initiative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the UN Environment Programme's World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) to compile spatially referenced information about protected areas. The data are provided as shapefiles and updated monthly.

    layer
  • cloudSource
    UNEP-WCMC/IUCN
  • editSuggested citation
    IUCN and UNEP-WCMC. 2017. "The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA)." April. Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC. www.protectedplanet.net. Accessed through Resource Watch, (date). www.resourcewatch.org.
  • extensionRelated tool or portal
    https://www.protectedplanet.net/, https://dopa-explorer.jrc.ec.europa.eu
  • copyrightLicence
    No Commercial Use
  • av_timerDate or time period of observation
  • timerFrequency of update
    Monthly
  • mapGeographic coverage
    Global
  • tab_unselectedSpatial Resolution
    Vector Layer
  • extensionTechnical background
  • errorCautions
    Protected area boundaries come from a variety of sources, with varying accuracy, up-to-dateness, and resolution. Data for some countries may be imprecise, miss some protected areas, or include boundaries that have since been canceled. Protected area designations, such as "national park," can be applied differently in different countries and may be associated with different IUCN categories. Only areas that meet the IUCN definition of protected area are collected by the WDPA, and thus the data may differ from national-level data on protected areas. Protected areas with no boundary data are displayed as boxes that represent the reported protected area size. The box is centered on a single point location, and the borders do not indicate the real boundary of the protected area.
  • dashboardRelated SDGs and targets
    GOAL 15: Life on land, GOAL 14: Life Below Water
  • tocRelated Topics
    Environment, Biodiversity, Protected Areas
  • share Embed it in your maps
        
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