01 January 23
January 2023 update of the WDPA and WD-OECM
The total number of protected area records in the January 2023 release of the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is 285,529 comprising 273,263 polygons and 12,266 points and covering 244 countries and territories.
The total number of other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) in the October 2022 release of the WD-OECM is 827, comprising 691 polygons and 136 points and covering 8 countries and territories.
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Highlights:
South Africa: Complete update for South Africa resulting in a final total of 1684 records (43 of which international, 1641 national) with 5 new national protected areas, removal of 1 national protected area, amendments to the size of 5 national sites and 1 international site, and name changes to 3 national sites. The new sites are all terrestrial and collectively cover approximately 383 km2.
| Polygons | Points | |||||||||
| Country | Designation Type | Designation name | Polygons (+) | Polygons (-) | Polygons Updated/ verified | Points (+) | Points (-) | Points Updated/verified | Point to polygon | Polygon to point |
| South Africa | National | National designations | 5 | 1 | 1,641 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| International | World Heritage Site | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Anguilla | National | National designations | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| International | Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
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 (2023). Protected areas map of the world, January 2023. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net
Summary of current data in preparation: 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.| Dataset | Status |
| Bangladesh | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| Belize | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| Benin | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
| Bermuda | New Dataset Received |
| Bolivia | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| Brazil | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| Burundi | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| Cabo Verde | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
| Cameroon | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
| Cayman Islands | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
| Central African Republic | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| Côte D'Ivoire | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
| Egypt | Final Approval Stages |
| Eswatini | Final Approval Stages |
| Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| French Polynesia | New Dataset Received |
| Ghana | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
| Hong Kong | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| India | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| Indonesia | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| Israel | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
| Jamaica | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| Kenya | Final Approval Stages |
| Lao People's Democratic Republic | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
| Lesotho | Final Approval Stages |
| Liberia | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| Mali | New Dataset Received |
| Myanmar | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
| Namibia | Final Approval Stages |
| New Caledonia | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
| Niger | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
| Nigeria | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
| Oman | New Dataset Received |
| Republic of Korea | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
| Saint Lucia | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| Senegal | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| Seychelles | Under Review by Data Provider |
| Sudan | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| Suriname | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| Tajikistan | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
| Togo | Under Review by UNEP-WCMC |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| Tunisia | Under Validation by Data Provider |
| Uganda | Final Approval Stages |
| Uzbekistan | Final Approval Stages |
| Vanuatu | Final Approval Stages |
| Zambia | Final Approval Stages |
| Zimbabwe | Under Validation by Data Provider |
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Tracking progress towards global targets for protected and conserved areas.