The World Database on
Protected Areas (WDPA) is the most comprehensive global database on terrestrial
and marine protected areas. It 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). Beyond terrestrial data
more is available from the Living Atlas at the following locations:
WDPA – World Protected Areas: http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=ae78aeb913a343d69e950b53e29076f7
WDPA – Community Protected Areas: http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=68953b2e1a0f4ad4bbe4ca6213e77b53
WDPA – Government Protected Areas: http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=f20da083f4f94a20be5f4e05c2097ca3
WDPA – Marine and Coastal Protected Areas: http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=8fd234a5b08a4859885abda763f35b93
Data and
information on the world's protected areas compiled in the WDPA are used for
reporting to the Convention on Biological Diversity on progress towards
reaching the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (particularly Target 11), to the UN to
track progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, to some of the Intergovernmental
Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) core
indicators, and other international assessments and reports including the
Global Biodiversity Outlook, as well as for the publication of the United
Nations List of Protected Areas. Every two years, UNEP-WCMC releases the
Protected Planet Report on the status of the world's protected areas and
recommendations on how to meet international goals and targets. Many
platforms are incorporating the WDPA to provide integrated information to
diverse users, including businesses and governments, in a range of sectors
including mining, oil and gas, and finance. For example, the WDPA is included
in the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool, an innovative decision support
tool that gives users easy access to up-to-date information that allows them to
identify biodiversity risks and opportunities within a project boundary.The reach
of the WDPA is further enhanced in services developed by other parties, such as
the Global Forest Watch and the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas, which
provide decision makers with access to monitoring and alert systems that allow
whole landscapes to be managed better. Together, these applications of the WDPA
demonstrate the growing value and significance of the Protected Planet
initiative.
