ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
 
   
 

Biodiversity
last update: September 2010
   
 

Protected Areas: Marine and Terrestrial

   
 
         

Proportion
1990

Proportion
2000

Proportion
2009
Protected Area
2009
%
%
%
km2
Afghanistan1
0.4
0.4
0.4
2 784
Albania
3.6
6.8
8.4
2 907
Algeria
6.2
6.2
6.2
146 936
American Samoa
2.0
2.0
2.0
204
Andorra1
5.6
5.6
6.0
28
Angola
12.1
12.1
12.1
155 669
Anguilla
0.0
6.8
6.8
63
Antigua and Barbuda
0.7
0.8
1.0
100
Argentina
4.4
5.2
5.2
152 689
Armenia1
6.9
6.9
8.0
2 372
Aruba
0.1
0.1
0.1
0
Australia
7.8
9.2
12.4
1 075 385
Austria1
20.1
22.9
22.9
19 235
Azerbaijan2
6.2
6.8
7.1
6 175
Bahamas
0.5
0.5
1.0
2 986
Bahrain
0.2
0.2
0.7
38
Bangladesh
1.3
1.4
1.5
2 623
Barbados
0.1
0.1
0.1
3
Belarus1
6.5
7.3
7.3
15 061
Belgium
0.6
0.8
0.8
272
Belize
8.5
18.4
20.6
8 457
Benin
23.8
23.8
23.8
27 645
Bermuda
4.8
5.1
5.1
152
Bhutan1
14.2
28.3
28.3
11 320
Bolivia1
8.5
17.9
18.2
198 433
Bosnia and Herzegovina
0.5
0.5
0.6
295
Botswana1
30.3
30.9
30.9
179 773
Brazil
10.8
18.7
27.8
2 442 720
British Virgin Islands
2.2
2.2
2.2
39
Brunei Darussalam
23.6
28.4
28.4
2 559
Bulgaria
1.8
4.3
8.7
10 249
Burkina Faso1
13.3
13.5
13.9
38 435
Burundi1
3.8
4.8
4.8
1 319
Cambodia
0.0
22.2
22.2
43 906
Cameroon
6.9
8.5
9.0
43 004
Canada
4.9
6.4
6.6
825 686
Cape Verde
2.5
2.5
2.5
102
Cayman Islands
1.3
1.4
1.5
114
Central African Republic1
14.4
14.7
14.7
91 579
Chad1
9.4
9.4
9.4
119 818
Chile
12.8
13.2
13.2
134 931
China
13.1
15.0
16.1
1 558 781
China, Hong Kong SAR
41.1
41.8
41.8
461
Colombia
19.3
19.4
19.5
238 151
Comoros
0.0
0.0
2.7
404
Congo
4.7
7.1
8.5
33 565
Cook Islands
0.0
0.0
0.0
15
Costa Rica
16.2
17.6
17.7
14 609
Cote d'Ivoire
21.8
21.8
21.8
73 232
Croatia
5.0
5.2
5.2
4 540
Cuba
2.7
2.7
4.4
10 335
Cyprus
3.3
4.7
4.7
1 071
Czech Republic1
13.7
15.1
15.1
11 785
Dem. Rep. of the Congo
10.0
10.0
10.0
234 143
Denmark
4.3
4.4
4.4
3 810
Djibouti
0.0
0.0
0.0
12
Dominica
3.6
3.7
3.7
171
Dominican Republic
24.0
24.0
24.0
15 109
Ecuador
4.2
15.3
15.3
204 336
Egypt
2.1
4.4
6.1
63 679
El Salvador
1.2
1.3
1.4
374
Equatorial Guinea
5.0
14.0
14.0
5 513
Eritrea
4.9
4.9
5.0
6 043
Estonia
21.9
22.1
22.1
15 496
Ethiopia1
17.7
17.7
18.4
208 904
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
0.3
0.3
0.3
43
Fiji
0.1
0.2
0.2
374
Finland
4.1
8.3
8.5
33 173
France
9.1
12.4
13.7
85 389
French Guiana
0.2
6.2
6.6
6 027
French Polynesia
0.0
0.1
0.1
161
Gabon
3.9
4.9
14.3
41 051
Gambia
1.2
1.3
1.3
167
Georgia
2.5
3.4
3.4
2 583
Germany
32.1
37.4
40.2
153 172
Ghana
13.3
13.3
13.3
33 637
Gibraltar
0.0
4.7
4.7
0
Greece
3.3
5.0
8.6
21 234
Greenland
39.8
40.0
40.0
971 963
Grenada
0.1
0.1
0.1
7
Guadeloupe
2.4
2.8
2.8
392
Guam
3.3
3.6
3.6
183
Guatemala
24.4
27.3
29.5
34 574
Guinea
6.8
6.8
6.8
16 705
Guinea-Bissau
5.8
26.9
26.9
14 433
Guyana
2.9
4.9
4.9
10 430
Haiti
0.3
0.3
0.3
73
Honduras
10.0
13.5
13.9
21 362
Hungary1
4.6
5.1
5.1
4 765
Iceland
5.6
5.7
5.7
9 974
India
4.8
5.1
5.1
172 294
Indonesia
4.0
5.6
6.4
333 358
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
5.1
5.7
6.8
116 729
Iraq
0.1
0.1
0.1
234
Ireland
0.5
0.7
0.7
725
Israel
14.6
15.9
15.9
3 966
Italy
3.5
6.8
12.2
55 791
Jamaica
2.3
7.3
7.3
3 758
Japan
7.5
10.3
10.8
82 527
Jordan
8.3
9.4
9.4
8 461
Kazakhstan2
2.4
2.5
2.5
67 956
Kenya
11.4
11.6
11.6
69 510
Kiribati
0.3
1.0
20.2
15 845
Korea, Dem. People's Rep.
2.7
2.7
2.7
4 016
Korea, Republic of
3.3
3.4
3.5
7 128
Kuwait
1.1
1.1
1.1
277
Kyrgyzstan1
6.4
6.9
6.9
13 880
Lao People's Dem. Rep.1
0.8
16.3
16.3
37 737
Latvia
6.2
14.2
16.2
12 182
Lebanon
0.3
0.4
0.4
54
Lesotho1
0.5
0.5
0.5
148
Liberia
5.1
5.1
5.1
17 543
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
0.1
0.1
0.1
1 825
Liechtenstein1
38.9
42.4
42.4
71
Lithuania
1.4
4.4
4.4
2 945
Luxembourg1
12.0
19.7
19.8
515
Madagascar
1.7
2.4
2.4
17 388
Malawi1
15.0
15.0
15.0
17 849
Malaysia
13.6
14.5
14.5
60 753
Mali1
2.3
2.3
2.4
30 588
Malta
0.3
1.5
1.7
72
Marshall Islands
0.0
0.6
0.6
701
Martinique
10.7
10.8
10.8
698
Mauritania
1.1
1.1
1.1
12 073
Mauritius
0.4
0.7
0.7
140
Mayotte
0.0
0.2
0.2
47
Mexico
2.4
8.4
11.8
267 596
Micronesia, Federated States of
0.1
0.1
0.1
89
Monaco
0.7
0.7
0.7
1
Mongolia1
4.1
13.4
13.4
209 631
Montenegro
11.4
11.4
11.5
1 855
Montserrat
0.5
2.4
2.4
11
Morocco
1.1
1.5
1.5
6 742
Mozambique
13.8
13.8
14.8
127 481
Myanmar
2.6
3.7
5.2
42 906
Namibia
13.9
13.9
13.9
119 781
Nepal1
7.7
17.0
17.0
25 106
Netherlands
11.7
14.3
14.9
7 288
Netherlands Antilles
1.2
1.4
1.4
179
New Caledonia
1.1
1.1
1.1
1 440
New Zealand
15.1
15.5
18.3
82 501
Nicaragua
12.5
33.5
33.5
53 743
Niger1
6.8
6.8
6.8
81 345
Nigeria
11.3
12.6
12.6
117 472
Niue
0.0
1.9
1.9
60
Northern Mariana Islands
0.0
0.1
0.1
21
Norway
3.6
5.0
10.7
50 299
Oman
0.0
9.3
9.3
33 822
Pakistan
10.0
10.0
10.0
91 038
Palau
0.4
2.1
4.8
166
Panama
10.3
11.0
11.5
17 102
Papua New Guinea
0.9
1.4
1.4
16 757
Paraguay1
2.9
4.4
5.4
21 863
Peru
4.6
7.5
13.1
178 830
Philippines
1.9
3.2
3.3
51 339
Poland
14.9
21.3
21.3
68 579
Portugal
4.2
4.2
4.2
6 624
Puerto Rico
4.4
4.4
4.4
1 189
Qatar
0.0
0.4
0.5
114
Republic of Moldova1
0.9
1.4
1.4
467
Reunion
3.7
4.7
4.8
403
Romania
2.8
5.4
7.7
18 826
Russian Federation
7.8
9.0
9.0
1 643 311
Rwanda1
9.9
9.9
10.0
2 542
Saint Helena
0.6
0.9
0.9
115
Saint Kitts and Nevis
0.8
0.8
0.8
26
Saint Lucia
2.0
2.0
2.0
91
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
0.0
3.5
3.5
127
Samoa
0.9
1.0
1.2
154
Saudi Arabia
7.3
30.0
30.0
608 488
Senegal
23.1
23.1
23.5
49 070
Serbia1
3.0
4.8
6.0
5 273
Seychelles
0.9
0.9
0.9
452
Sierra Leone
5.0
5.0
5.0
3 606
Singapore
2.6
3.4
3.5
41
Slovakia1
19.5
21.4
23.5
11 492
Slovenia
7.4
8.7
12.0
2 465
Solomon Islands
0.0
0.1
0.1
292
Somalia
0.3
0.3
0.3
3 726
South Africa
6.2
6.7
6.8
88 671
Spain
6.4
7.5
7.6
47 428
Sri Lanka
13.3
14.5
14.5
14 170
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
1.2
1.2
1.2
83
Sudan
4.7
4.8
4.8
123 267
Suriname
4.6
12.1
12.1
18 863
Swaziland1
3.0
3.0
3.0
523
Sweden
6.6
10.0
10.4
55 182
Switzerland 1
14.5
22.8
22.8
9 441
Syrian Arab Republic
0.2
0.3
0.6
1 228
Tajikistan1
1.9
4.1
4.1
5 884
Thailand
12.5
16.8
16.9
106 205
The Former Yugoslav Rep. of Macedonia1
4.2
4.8
4.8
1 233
Timor-Leste
0.0
3.1
6.4
1 915
Togo
11.3
11.3
11.3
6 467
Tokelau
0.0
0.1
0.1
10
Tonga
0.0
2.5
2.5
10 095
Trinidad and Tobago
7.4
9.6
9.6
2 095
Tunisia
1.2
1.3
1.3
2 445
Turkey
1.8
1.9
1.9
16 732
Turkmenistan2
3.0
3.0
3.0
14 614
Turks and Caicos Islands
0.6
3.5
3.5
586
Tuvalu
0.0
0.2
0.2
36
Uganda1
7.3
7.9
9.7
23 519
Ukraine
2.0
3.6
3.6
23 099
United Arab Emirates
0.3
0.3
4.7
4 756
United Kingdom
14.9
16.4
16.6
68 657
United Rep. of Tanzania
25.7
26.3
27.0
265 972
United States
15.1
15.6
15.7
1 611 013
United States Virgin Islands
1.3
1.5
1.5
94
Uruguay
0.2
0.2
0.2
483
Uzbekistan1
2.1
2.3
2.3
9 549
Vanuatu
0.4
0.4
0.5
593
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
36.3
50.2
50.2
507 482
Viet Nam
3.1
4.2
4.9
23 549
Wallis and Futuna Islands
0.2
0.2
0.2
0
Western Sahara
5.7
5.7
5.7
15 258
Yemen
0.0
0.7
0.7
3 625
Zambia1
36.0
36.0
36.0
271 902
Zimbabwe1
18.0
18.0
28.0
109 951
         

 

Sources:

UNSD Millennium Development Goals Indicators database (see http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Data.aspx).

Footnotes:

  1. Landlocked country.
  2. Landlocked country with territorial water claims within the Caspian Sea (inland sea).


Definitions & Technical notes:

The definition of a “protected area”, as adopted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is “an area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means”. (IUCN 1994. Guidelines for Protected Areas Management Categories. IUCN; Gland; Switzerland and Cambridge; UK)

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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