ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
 
     
 
 

Biodiversity
last update: August 2009
     
 

Protected Areas: Marine and Terrestrial

     
 
           

Proportion
1990

Proportion
2000

Proportion
2008
Protected Area
2008
     
%
%
%
km2
Afghanistan1
0.2
0.2
0.2
1 079
Albania
0.2
5.1
6.8
2 359
Algeria
5
5
5
119 714
American Samoa
2
2
2
204
Andorra1
6.9
6.9
6.9
33
Angola
8
8
8
103 116
Anguilla
...
2.1
2.1
20
Antigua and Barbuda
0.7
0.8
1.2
121
Argentina
5
6.2
6.2
181 163
Armenia1
7.2
7.2
8.2
2 440
Aruba
0
0
0
0
Australia
7.8
13.3
21.4
1 853 164
Austria1
25.8
31.3
21.8
18 258
Azerbaijan2
5.2
5.6
6.2
6 328
Bahamas
0.4
0.5
1
2 831
Bahrain
0.2
11.2
11.2
590
Bangladesh
1.5
1.7
1.8
3 353
Barbados
0.1
0.1
0.1
3
Belarus1
5.9
6.5
6.5
13 576
Belgium
2.9
3.1
3.1
978
Belize
14.8
27.4
30.2
12 636
Benin
22.6
22.6
22.6
26 088
Bermuda
5
5.3
5.3
158
Bhutan1
12.1
24.6
24.6
11 561
Bolivia1
8.9
21.2
21.2
232 988
Bosnia and Herzegovina
0.8
0.8
0.8
415
Botswana1
29.3
30.1
30.1
175 308
Brazil
9
19
28.9
2 536 290
British Virgin Islands
2.9
2.9
2.9
52
Brunei Darussalam
27.8
32.4
32.4
3 423
Bulgaria
6.2
9.1
9.5
11 215
Burkina Faso1
13.5
14
14.4
39 325
Burundi1
4.4
5.6
5.6
1 548
Cambodia
...
21.9
21.9
43 465
Cameroon
6.8
8.4
9.9
48 070
Canada
4.7
6.5
6.7
849 937
Cape Verde
0.2
0.2
0.2
102
Cayman Islands
2.1
2.2
3.3
248
Central African Republic1
17.6
18.1
18.2
113 308
Chad1
9
9
9
114 940
Chile3
13.6
14
14
143 114
China
11.2
13.2
14.3
1 454 145
China, Hong Kong SAR
46.9
49.9
50.1
551
Colombia
24.5
24.5
30.3
371 618
Comoros
...
...
18.1
404
Congo
5.1
7.8
9
35 433
Cook Islands
0
0.1
0.1
19
Costa Rica
16.3
20.3
22.9
18 912
Cote d'Ivoire
20.4
20.4
20.4
68 170
Croatia
5
6.4
6.4
5 647
Cuba
12.9
13.5
15.5
36 353
Cyprus
3.5
4.4
4.4
1 012
Czech Republic1
13.6
15.8
15.8
12 451
Dem. Rep. of the Congo
9.2
9.7
11.7
273 387
Denmark
4
4.2
4.2
3 583
Djibouti
0
0
0
12
Dominica
3.7
4.4
4.4
204
Dominican Republic
...
...
...
39 970
Ecuador
4.4
15.1
15.1
205 516
Egypt
0.1
6.2
7.9
84 168
El Salvador
1
1
1
281
Equatorial Guinea
4.8
14.1
14.1
5 867
Eritrea
3.2
3.2
3.2
5 006
Estonia
29.1
30.9
31.1
21 722
Ethiopia1
17.2
17.2
17.5
193 671
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
0.1
0.1
0.1
113
Fiji
0.2
0.3
0.3
603
Finland
4.1
8.2
8.5
33 276
France
9.1
12.5
14
87 141
French Guiana
0
5.4
5.4
5 308
French Polynesia
0
0.1
0.1
235
Gabon
4.1
5.3
15.7
45 325
Gambia
1.4
1.9
1.9
255
Georgia
2.6
3.6
3.6
2 721
Germany
40.1
48.8
54.4
206 855
Ghana
15.7
15.8
15.8
39 696
Greece
1.6
3
3
7 269
Greenland
40
40
40
980 099
Grenada
0.1
0.1
0.1
7
Guadeloupe
2.8
3.3
3.3
457
Guam
1.7
3.1
3.1
162
Guatemala
26.1
31
31
35 979
Guinea
3.4
6.2
6.2
16 162
Guinea-Bissau
4.7
31
31
17 307
Guyana
...
2.2
2.2
4 860
Haiti
0.1
0.1
0.1
73
Honduras
10.8
15.8
16.1
24 657
Hungary1
4.8
5.6
5.6
5 213
Iceland
5.4
7.1
7.1
12 480
India
4.1
4.6
4.6
159 807
Indonesia
3.9
6
6.9
359 930
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
5
5.6
6.8
118 093
Iraq
0
0
0
5
Ireland
0.4
0.7
0.7
820
Israel
26.6
29.1
29.1
7 651
Italy
3.6
5.2
5.7
26 119
Jamaica
1.7
7.1
7.1
3 837
Japan
6
8.8
9.4
75 141
Jordan
9.4
10.5
10.5
9 385
Kazakhstan2
2.5
2.8
2.8
76 227
Kenya
11.9
12.1
12.2
72 180
Kiribati
1
1
411 304
Korea, Dem. People's Rep.
1.8
1.8
1.8
3 159
Korea, Republic of
3.8
3.8
3.9
7 203
Kuwait
1.1
1.1
1.1
277
Kyrgyzstan1
2.4
3.1
3.1
6 210
Latvia
6
14.1
14.1
10 578
Lebanon
0.3
0.3
0.3
50
Lesotho1
0.2
0.2
0.2
70
Liberia
4.7
4.7
4.7
16 736
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
0.1
0.1
0.1
2 199
Liechtenstein1
40.1
40.1
40.1
64
Lithuania
1.5
6.1
6.1
4 114
Luxembourg1
16.1
16.6
16.6
430
Madagascar
1.8
2.6
2.6
18 632
Malawi1
15.6
15.6
15.6
18 447
Malaysia
13.8
15.5
15.5
73 712
Mali1
1.6
2
2.1
26 004
Malta
0.3
1.1
1.4
59
Marshall Islands
...
0.7
0.7
757
Martinique
11.4
11.5
11.5
740
Mauritania
1.5
1.5
1.5
15 230
Mauritius
0.5
0.8
0.8
165
Mexico
2.6
7.8
8.8
197 320
Micronesia, Federated States of
0.1
0.1
0.1
103
Republic of Moldova1
1
1.4
1.4
473
Monaco
0.7
0.7
0.7
1
Mongolia1
4.1
13.9
13.9
217 912
Montenegro
5.9
5.9
5.9
959
Montserrat
0.5
2.5
2.5
11
Morocco
0.8
1.2
1.3
6 100
Mozambique
13.6
13.6
14.7
128 435
Myanmar
2.4
3.5
5.5
45 790
Namibia
14.4
14.4
14.4
123 471
Nepal1
6.8
16.5
16.6
24 477
Netherlands
12.1
14.9
15.6
8 639
Netherlands Antilles
1.1
1.7
1.7
218
New Caledonia
1.2
1.2
1.2
1 631
New Zealand
16
17.6
20.5
92 616
Nicaragua
3.7
15.3
15.3
26 486
Niger1
6.6
6.6
6.6
84 141
Nigeria
13.4
15.4
15.6
147 412
Niue
...
1.9
1.9
61
Northern Mariana Islands
0.1
0.1
0.1
27
Norway
3.5
3.9
3.9
20 760
Oman
...
8.2
8.2
29 841
Pakistan
8.6
8.7
8.7
71 647
Palau
0.4
2.8
7.8
267
Panama
12.9
15.4
18.5
27 480
Papua New Guinea
1
1.5
1.5
17 884
Paraguay1
3.1
4.4
6
24 268
Peru
4.7
7.7
13.2
179 262
Philippines
2.1
3.3
3.3
63 405
Poland
15.7
23.6
23.6
76 220
Portugal
3.9
4.3
4.3
6 802
Puerto Rico
4
9.6
9.9
2 652
Qatar
0
0.6
0.6
137
Réunion
1.3
2.3
2.4
203
Romania
3.5
8.4
11.3
27 634
Russian Federation
7.7
8.8
8.8
1 628 653
Rwanda1
3.9
3.9
7.6
2 008
Saint Kitts and Nevis
0.8
0.8
0.8
26
Saint Lucia
2.2
2.2
2.4
104
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
0.3
0.3
0.3
19
Samoa
0.8
1.6
1.8
239
Saudi Arabia
7
36.8
36.8
825 587
Senegal
23.9
23.9
24.4
50 650
Serbia1
2.6
2.7
2.7
2 430
Seychelles
0.9
0.9
0.9
448
Sierra Leone
3.6
3.6
3.6
2 977
Singapore
2.2
3
3.1
40
Slovakia1
15.4
17.6
19.6
9 619
Slovenia
6.1
6.5
6.5
1 342
Solomon Islands
0
0.1
0.1
320
Somalia
0.4
0.4
0.4
5 244
South Africa
5.3
5.8
6.1
78 583
Spain
6.6
8.6
8.7
54 152
Sri Lanka
13
14.3
14.3
13 833
Sudan
4.5
4.5
4.5
114 097
Suriname
3.9
13.2
13.2
22 780
Swaziland1
3.1
3.1
3.1
539
Sweden
5.8
9.5
9.6
51 050
Switzerland1
16.6
28.6
28.6
11 800
Syrian Arab Republic
0.2
0.4
0.7
1 267
Tajikistan1
2.3
13.7
13.7
19 581
Thailand
11.9
17.3
17.4
108 769
The Former Yugoslav Rep. of Macedonia1
6.1
7
7
1 807
Timor-Leste
...
3.1
7.3
2 174
Togo
10.6
10.6
10.6
6 308
Tokelau
...
0.1
0.1
10
Tonga
0
2.2
2.2
10 107
Trinidad and Tobago
8.4
8.5
8.5
1 840
Tunisia
1.2
1.3
1.3
2 529
Turkey
1.8
2
2
17 434
Turkmenistan1
2.5
2.5
2.5
12 866
Turks and Caicos Islands
0.6
4.3
4.3
720
Tuvalu
...
0.2
0.2
36
Uganda1
12.6
13.2
15
36 161
Ukraine
1.9
3.5
3.5
22 628
United Arab Emirates
0.2
0.2
0.2
274
United Kingdom
14
14.8
15.1
61 974
United Rep. of Tanzania
36.4
37.1
38.2
375 072
United States
14.6
15.8
22.3
2 353 939
United States Virgin Islands
1.2
1.8
3
192
Uruguay
0.3
0.3
0.3
674
Uzbekistan1
1.8
1.9
1.9
8 689
Vanuatu
0.4
0.4
0.5
602
Venezuela
41.6
65.7
65.7
660 964
Viet Nam
1
2.7
3.6
22 551
Western Sahara
6.6
6.6
6.6
18 889
Yemen
...
0.6
0.6
3 625
Zambia1
41.1
41.1
41.1
309 052
Zimbabwe1
15.7
15.7
15.8
61 642

 

Sources:

UNSD Millennium Development Goals Database.

Footnotes:

  1. Landlocked country; no marine areas/territorial waters.
  2. Landlocked country with territorial water claims within the Caspian Sea (inland sea).
  3. Includes Rapa Nui (Easter Island) an Overseas Territory of Chile.


Definitions & Technical notes:

Marine and terrestrial areas combined proportions are calculated as the total protected area extent divided by total territorial area (includes total land area, inland waters, and territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles). For more information on the designations of marine or terrestrial protected areas see the individual tables or the original source.

Protected areas increase with time and are not deleted from subsequent years. Only protected areas that are “nationally designated” are included in this indicator. The status "designated" is attributed to a protected area when the authority that corresponds, according to national legislation or common practice (e.g. by means of an executive decree), officially endorses a document of designation. The designation must be for conservation of biodiversity, not single species and not fortuitous de facto protection arising because of some other activity (e.g. military). Hence, a number of United States Marine Managed Areas as well as permanent fisheries closures are excluded.

Data are adjusted to account for transboundary protected areas (protected areas that transcend international boundaries) to ensure that the appropriate area/extent from the total area for that site is attributed to the country in which it is contained. Similar adjustments have been made where a protected area transcends both marine and terrestrial environments.

The size of the protected area (its “extent”) is the officially documented total area provided by the national authority or as listed by the World Database on Protected Areas and may be generated from spatial (GIS) boundary data (see source for details). Many protected areas can contain proportions of both the marine and terrestrial environment, and the size of the protected area extent that falls into each environment is not always available. The table also includes some protected areas for which the year (date of establishment/designation) is unavailable.

Where the documented total area is unavailable the following rules have been applied:
1. Where the documented total area of the site is unavailable but the spatial (GIS) boundary is present in the WDPA, the total area calculated from the GIS will be used; and
2. Where spatial (GIS) boundaries and the documented area from national sources are unavailable, UNEP-WCMC works with the collaborating NGOs to help source this information. Where no additional information, either from national sources or NGOs, can be found then the site is excluded from the statistics.

If no update is received for a given year, the total number and size of the protected area is assumed to be equal to the previous year’s values.


Data Quality:

The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is compiled from multiple sources and is the most comprehensive global dataset on marine and terrestrial protected areas available. It is a joint project of UNEP-WCMC and the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas working with governments and collaborating non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

A major source of information is through the UN List process, which takes place every 4-5 years. As part of this process, key stakeholders review and provide information to assist in the compilation of the UN List of Protected areas. In the intervening period between UN Lists, UNEP-WCMC works closely with national authorities and NGOs to continually update the WDPA, as new information becomes available.

There are known data and knowledge gaps that exist in some countries/regions due to difficulties in: reporting capacities; measuring the proportion of a protected area within the terrestrial and/or marine environment; and determining whether a site conforms to the IUCN definition of a protected area/MPA.

The list of protected areas does not provide information on non-designated protected areas that may also be important for conserving biodiversity. Further, the spatial extent of nationally designated protected areas does not indicate how well managed the area is in practice, nor does it confirm that protection measures are actually enforced for the entire extent. However, UNEP-WCMC and IUCN have defined and monitor categorizes of nationally designated protected areas in order to improve data quality.

For more information visit the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) website at: www.wdpa.org/.

 
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