{ "culture": "en-GB", "name": "WDPCA", "guid": "2B41EE3E-31EE-45DD-8797-CD2960FC928C", "catalogPath": "", "snippet": "The WDPCA is the most comprehensive global database on terrestrial and marine protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures. Version: January 2026.", "description": "

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The<\/span> World Database on Protected and Conserv<\/span>ed Areas (WDPCA)<\/span> <\/span>combines<\/span> the<\/span> formerly separate<\/span> World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and <\/span>World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM)<\/span>. The WDPCA is<\/span> the most comprehensive global database<\/span> of marine and terrestrial protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, updated on a monthly basis, and <\/span>is<\/span> <\/span>one of the key global biodiversity data<\/span>sets being widely used by scientists, businesses, governments, <\/span>i<\/span>nternational secretariats<\/span>,<\/span> and others to inform planning, policy decisions<\/span>,<\/span> and management.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p><\/div>

The <\/span>WDPCA is<\/span> part of the Protected Planet Initiative,<\/span> a joint product of <\/span>the <\/span>UN Environment Programme and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The compilation and management of the <\/span>WDPCA<\/span> is carried out by <\/span>the <\/span>UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), in collaboration with governments and other stakeholders.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p><\/div>

Data and information on the world's protected <\/span>and conserved <\/span>areas <\/span>compiled in the <\/span>WDPCA is<\/span> used for reporting on progress towards reaching <\/span>Target 3 of <\/span>the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework<\/span>, which calls for 30% of the world\u2019s land and waters to be effectively conserved by 2030.<\/span> <\/span> <\/span>Additionally,<\/span> <\/span>the WDPCA is used <\/span>for reporting <\/span>to the UN to track progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, <\/span>tracking of <\/span>core indicators<\/span> <\/span>of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)<\/span>, and <\/span>providing information for <\/span>other international assessments and reports including the Global Biodiversity Outlook. UNEP-WCMC and IUCN periodically release the Protected Planet Report on the status of the world's protected and conserved areas.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p><\/div>

Many platforms are incorporating the <\/span>WDPCA<\/span> to provide integrated information to diverse users, including businesses and governments, in a range of sectors. For example, the <\/span>WDPCA<\/span> <\/span>is <\/span>included in the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool<\/span> (IBAT)<\/span>, an innovative decision support tool that gives<\/span> commercial<\/span> users easy access to up-to-date information that allows them to <\/span>identify<\/span> biodiversity risks and opportunities within a project boundary.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p><\/div>

The reach of the <\/span>WDPCA is<\/span> further enhanced <\/span>by<\/span> <\/span>the UN Biodiversity Lab as well as <\/span>services <\/span>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 <\/span>WDPCA<\/span> demonstrate the growing value and significance of the Protected Planet initiative.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p><\/div>

<\/p><\/div>", "summary": "The WDPCA is the most comprehensive global database on terrestrial and marine protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures. Version: January 2026.", "title": "The World Database on Protected and Conserved Areas (WDPCA)", "tags": [ "wdpa", "wd-oecm", "protected-planet", "protected-area", "other-effective-area-based-conservation-measures", "OECMs", "conserved areas", "areas-of-biodiversity-importance", "wdpca" ], "type": "Map Service", "typeKeywords": [ "Data", "Service", "Map Service", "ArcGIS Server" ], "thumbnail": "thumbnail/thumbnail.png", "url": "", "extent": [ [ -180, -85.4118872 ], [ 180, 86.45371111 ] ], "minScale": 0, "maxScale": 1.7976931348623157E308, "spatialReference": "WGS_1984_Web_Mercator_Auxiliary_Sphere", "accessInformation": "UNEP-WCMC and IUCN (2026), Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected and Conserved Areas (WDPCA) [On-line], [January 2026], Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC and IUCN. Available at:\u202fhttps://doi.org/10.34892/NSDV-9P22", "licenseInfo": "Neither (a) the <\/span>WDPCA<\/span> Materials nor (b) any work derived from or based upon the <\/span>WDPCA<\/span> Materials (\u201cDerivative Works") may be put to Commercial Use without the prior written permission of UNEP-WCMC. For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions, \u201cCommercial Use" means a) any use by, on behalf of, or to inform or assist the activities of, a commercial entity (an entity that operates 'for profit') or b) use by any individual or non-profit entity for the purposes of revenue generation. For commercial uses, please go to the IBAT website: https://www.ibat-alliance.org/. For the avoidance of doubt, UNEP-WCMC reserves the right to <\/span>determine<\/span> whether a particular use of the <\/span>WDPCA<\/span> Materials <\/span>constitutes<\/span> a Commercial Use or otherwise.<\/span><\/span> <\/span>" }