July 2022 update of the WDPA and WD-OECM

The total number of protected area records in the June 2022 release of the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is 271,077 comprising 258,816 polygons and 12,261 points and covering 245 countries and territories.

The total number of other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) in the June 2022 release of the WD-OECM is 785, comprising 649 polygons and 136 points and covering 8 countries and territories.

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Highlights:

Colombia: Addition of 10 OECMs for Colombia, all with primary conservation objective. Two of them are UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserves: Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve (transition zone), covering around 17,300 km2, and El Tuparro UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve (transition and buffer zones), of 5,200 km2 approxinately. Four are Ramsar sites: Complejo de Humedales Cuenca del Río Bita (aprox. 8,000 km2), Complejo de Humedales de la Estrella Fluvial Inírida (aprox. 2,500 km2), Complejo de Humedales Lagos de Tarapoto (aprox. 440 km2) and Delta Estuarino del Río Magdalena, Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (aprox. 4,700 km2). The remaining four OECMs are: Área Marina Protegida Archipiélago Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo, (3,750 km2 aproximately), Plan de Ordenacion y Manejo de la Cuenca Hidrográfica Río Bajo Cesar-Ciénaga de Zapatosa (approximately 2,300 km2), Plan de Ordenacion de la Cuenta Hidrografica del Río Alto Suárez (1081.59 km2 approximately), Unidad Ambiental Costera Complejo Málaga – Buenaventura (4,800 km2 aproximately)..

Costa Rica: Update of all national designations for Costa Rica. This includes the expansion of two MPAs: Isla del Coco National Park (IUCN category II) from 2,045 to 55,081 km2; and Del Bicentenario Marine Management Area (previously called Montes Submarinos), with IUCN category VI, from 9,624 to 107,440 km2.

Solomon Islands: Addition of Padezaka Tribal Forest Conservation Area for the Solomon Islands, representing a new terrestrial protected area of 49 km2.

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 (2022). Protected areas map of the world, July 2022. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net

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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.