01 December 24
The total number of records in the December 2024 release of the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is 305,195 (303,312 protected areas), comprising 293,259 polygons and 11,936 points and covering 244 countries and territories.
The total number of records in the December 2024 release of the World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM) is 6,484 (6,463 OECMs), comprising 6,342 polygons and 142 points and covering 15 countries and territories.
There are no updates in the December 2024 release of the Global Database on Protected Area Management Effectiveness (GD-PAME).
In October 2024, UNEP-WCMC transitioned to using a more detailed global base map and geodesic area calculations in WGS 1984 to generate global and national coverage statistics (the previous approach used Mollweide). These changes have introduced more accuracy to the coverage statistics we produce at the global and national level, especially at the poles and for small islands. In November 2024, total and marine area values at the site level were recalculated to enhance reporting accuracy, which enabled the reclassification of a small number of marine protected and conserved areas that had previously been reported as terrestrial protected and conserved areas. In December 2024, we have continued to use this new method.
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Highlights:
Madagascar: Complete update of Madagascar's protected areas by the Ministry of Environment, facilitated by the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development - 24 records have been added (1 x Managed Resource Protected Area, 1 x National Park, 2 x Protected Landscape, and 20 x Protected Area). 28 records have been removed (27 Locally Managed Marine Area's, and 1 National Park).
Pakistan: A small update that was the result of a previous larger update completed in August. Four point protected areas were added including the largest marine protected area reported for Pakistan, whilst two point and two polygon protected areas were removed.
Peru: A new private protected area reported for Peru called Huella Verde.
South Africa: Complete update for South Africa, from the South African Protected Areas Database, facilitated by the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development. 2 Protected Areas were removed (Viljoenskroon Nature Reserve and Nkandla Nature Reserve Complex) and 8 Protected Areas were added, including 1 Protected Area (Widenham Wetland), 1 Game Reserve (Karongwe and Selati), 2 Protected Environments (Ukuthanda Ukukhanya and Bambanani) and 3 Natures Reserves (Mkambati,Makgokolo and Northern Drakensberg).
Dataset | Designation Type | Designation name | Polygons (+) | Polygons (-) | Polygons Updated/ verified | Points (+) | Points (-) | Points Updated/verified | Point to polygon | Polygon to point |
Peru | National | National designations | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Saudi Arabia | National | National designations | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pakistan | National | National designations | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Madagascar | National | National designations | 24 | 23 | 119 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Madagascar | International | Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
South Africa | National | National designations | 8 | 2 | 1,656 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
South Africa | International | Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
South Africa | International | UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
South Africa | International | World Heritage Site | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Updated: Modifications/updates of the geometry and/or attributes of existing features in the WDPA or WD-OECM (i.e. features with existing WDPAIDs). Also covers features that have been verified as accurate (i.e. no changes need to be made)
Removed: Number of features removed from the WDPA or WD-OECM (i.e. WDPAIDs removed from the databases).
Added: Number of features added to the WDPA or WD-OECM (i.e. new WDPAIDs created).
Map of protected areas and OECMs:
Citation: UNEP-WCMC (2024). Protected areas map of the world, December 2024. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net
Summary of current data in preparation:
Dataset | Status |
Bahamas | Final Approval Stages |
Bahrain | Under Review by Data Provider |
Burundi | Final Approval Stages |
Cameroon | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
Cayman Islands | Under Validation by Data Provider |
CuraƧao | Under Validation by Data Provider |
French Polynesia | Under Validation by Data Provider |
Honduras | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
Hong Kong | Under Validation by Data Provider |
India | Under Validation by Data Provider |
Jamaica | Under Validation by Data Provider |
Jersey | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
Mali | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
Marshall Islands | Under Validation by Data Provider |
Mauritania | Under Validation by Data Provider |
Mongolia | New Dataset Received |
New Caledonia | Final Approval Stages |
Nepal | Final Approval Stages |
Nicaragua | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
Niger | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
OSPAR Network | Under Validation by Data Provider |
Senegal | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
Venezuela | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
The data set status is defined as one of: 1) New Dataset Received, 2) Under Review by UNEP-WCMC, 3) Under Validation by Data Provider, or 4) Final Approval Stages.
Tracking progress towards global targets for protected and conserved areas.
UNEP-WCMC and IUCN (2025), Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM) [Online], April 2025, Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC and IUCN. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net.