World Database on Protected Areas

The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is a global database of marine and terrestrial protected areas, a joint project between UN Environment Programme and IUCN, managed by UNEP-WCMC in collaboration with governments, NGOs, academia, and industry. With records for over 312,500 protected areas globally, the WDPA provides spatial boundaries, management categories, governance types, designation names and dates, and management authority information in a consistent, downloadable format. Data from the WDPA are used for reporting to the Convention on Biological Diversity, tracking progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals, contributing to IPBES core indicators, and informing the Global Biodiversity Outlook and the United Nations List of Protected Areas. The Protected Planet website provides an interactive map interface for searching and visualizing protected areas globally.