Resource

Protected Planet

Author/Contact:

Brian MacSharry, Protected area information coordinator, protectedareas@unep-wcmc.org

Publication date:

Images

Resource description:

The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is a joint project between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), managed by UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC).The dataset described here shows the global distribution of terrestrial and marine protected areas. The dataset contains protected areas designated at the national level and under regional and international conventions and agreements.

Requirements:

  • [To view]: Online web browser
  • [To download]: Software that reads CSV, KML, SHP, GDB or Esri Web Service data.

Advantages:

  • The world's most comprehensive global database on terrestrial and marine protected areas.
  • Includes spatial data and extensive attribute data (i.e. descriptive information) for over 217,000 protected areas.
  • Available to view online and to download.

Constraints:

  • The WDPA dataset is not necessarily a complete representation of all the protected areas which have been designated in country
  • the quality of the WDPA depends on the accessibility of accurate, comprehensive, up-to-date protected areas information from data holders.
  • Mismatches between on the ground protected areas and protected areas in the WDPA may be due to a number of reasons that include but are not restricted to: new data being quality checked to fit the WDPA standards, data not submitted to the WDPA yet, new pr

Additional information:

  • Protected Planet Report 2012
  • Protected Planet Report 2014
  • Protected Planet Report 2016

Licence:

  • Public/open source

Development stage:

  • Full, working product
Resource link: