World Database on Protected Areas

World Database on Protected Areas
Dr. Randi Rotjan, New England Aquarium. www.neaq.org · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	World Database on Protected Areas
Abbreviation	WDPA
Formation	1981
Type	Database
Headquarters	Cambridge
Parent organization	United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre

World Database on Protected Areas is an international spatial and descriptive inventory recording designated protected areas worldwide. It serves as a primary reference for conservation planning, policy, and reporting across agencies such as United Nations Environment Programme, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar Convention, and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The database aggregates site-level information used by organizations including BirdLife International, World Wide Fund for Nature, The Nature Conservancy, and Global Environment Facility.

Overview

The database compiles geospatial boundaries and attribute records for terrestrial, freshwater, and marine protected areas recognized through mechanisms such as Ramsar Convention listation, UNESCO World Heritage Site designation, and national decrees from states like United States, Brazil, India, Australia, and South Africa. It harmonizes categorizations from IUCN protected area categories I–VI, links to governance types observed in jurisdictions like Canada, New Zealand, and Norway, and integrates data used by international assessments such as the Global Biodiversity Outlook and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

History and development

Originally developed in collaboration with IUCN and the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, the inventory evolved from regional lists produced during the 1980s conservation initiatives led by entities including World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International. Major milestones include digitization in the 1990s influenced by projects like Global Biodiversity Information Facility and adoption of spatial standards following consultations with institutions such as National Aeronautics and Space Administration and European Space Agency. Subsequent modernization phases incorporated web services promoted by Google Earth and standards from Open Geospatial Consortium.

Data content and classification

Records include attributes for designation type, legal instrument, IUCN category, management authority, and area extent, often cross-referenced with registers maintained by ministries in countries such as China, France, Mexico, Kenya, and Indonesia. Spatial datasets range from precise polygons for marine protected areas like those around Galápagos Islands and Great Barrier Reef to point records for small reserves in regions such as Alps and Amazon Rainforest. Classification aligns with international norms used by CBD, Ramsar Convention, and regional bodies including European Union Natura 2000. Metadata schemes reference standards developed by ISO and the Global Earth Observation System of Systems.

Governance and partnerships

Governance is administered through partnerships among United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, IUCN, national governments, indigenous organizations such as representatives from Saami Council and Assembly of First Nations, and NGOs like BirdLife International and IUCN commissions. Funding and project collaboration involve donors including the Global Environment Facility, World Bank, European Commission, and philanthropic foundations linked to actors like MacArthur Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Technical partnerships include mapping support from Esri, scientific guidance from universities such as University of Cambridge and Stanford University, and policy alignment with Convention on Biological Diversity processes.

Access, tools, and datasets

Access is provided through online portals, web map services, and downloadable shapefiles used by practitioners in organizations like NASA, UNESCO, World Resources Institute, and national agencies such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Tools integrated with the database include GIS platforms from Esri and open-source projects like QGIS, as well as APIs compatible with standards from the Open Geospatial Consortium. Datasets distributed encompass global polygon releases, marine protected area delineations, and time-series snapshots for reporting to entities such as Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Convention on Biological Diversity national reports.

Applications and impact

The inventory underpins achievement tracking for international targets like Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the post-2020 biodiversity framework, supports spatial prioritization by groups including The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International, and informs environmental impact assessments for projects funded by World Bank and Asian Development Bank. It is used in academic analyses at institutions such as Harvard University and University of Oxford, media reporting by outlets covering conservation in places such as Madagascar and Antarctica, and legal disputes over boundaries in regions like Arctic and Caribbean.

Criticisms and limitations

Critiques have focused on gaps in coverage for nations with limited reporting capacity such as some small island states, inconsistencies between national legislation and recorded attributes for countries like Russia and Myanmar, and variable spatial accuracy for remote areas including parts of Sahara and Amazon Rainforest. Stakeholders including indigenous groups and NGOs have raised concerns about representation of governance types and recognition of customary territories like those of Maori and Mapuche. Methodological limitations noted by researchers at institutions including University of California, Berkeley include temporal lags, heterogeneity in source quality, and challenges harmonizing designations across multilateral instruments such as Ramsar Convention and UNESCO World Heritage Convention.

Category:Databases