Protected Areas and World Heritage Programme
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About the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA)
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 The World Database of Protected Areas is the largest repository of global information on protected areas.
The protected areas database is a key component in the early stages of emergency response,
providing GIS- supported location maps of impacted areas. By incorporating this information
at the outset the responders are able quickly to identify areas of sensitivity that may require
specific protection. The information gathered during a response event is also fed back into the
database to improve the effectiveness of future responses.
An
important advance has been the on-line access provided in recent years via the Internet, access
not only to the analyses and compilations of the data but also to the underpinning data. The
implementation of the Internet interface allows ready access to the information at all times.
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WDPA Consortium
The WDPA Consortium was established in 2002 in order to expand participation and leadership on the development of this protected areas database. The Consortium brings together a growing number of international conservation organizations that have agreed to ensure that information on protected areas is maintained on a cooperative basis and used effectively to monitor the effectiveness of global conservation agendas.
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WDPA Consortium Members:
- American Museum of Natural History
- BirdLife International
- Conservation Biology Institute
- Conservation International
- Flora & Fauna International
- Ramsar Convention Secretariat
- The Nature Conservancy
- UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre
- Wildlife Conservation Society
- World Resources Institute
- World Wildlife Fund -- WWF-US
- World Wildlife Fund for Nature -- WWF-International
Other key stakeholders include:
- Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat
- Ramsar Convention Secretariat
- World Heritage Centre (UNESCO)
- Man and Biosphere Program (UNESCO)
WDPA Consortium Principles
The vision for the WDPA is to have a freely available, accurate and up-to-date World Database on Protected Areas that is accepted as a global standard by all stakeholders. In practical terms, the aim is to ensure that the development, review and update of the WDPA and its placement in the public domain becomes a continuous sustainable process, with consortium members working together to find the necessary resources. The WDPA will also be a central component of the Biodiversity Knowledge Commons, capable of attracting abundant related information.
WDPA Consortium Principles, 2002
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WDPA Working in Support Global and Regional Assessments
In addition to supporting the production of the periodic UN List, the data in the WDPA has been used, and
continues to be used, to support a number of global and regional assessments, including:
- Circumpolar Protected Areas Network (CPAN) – Strategy and Action Plan (1996)
- Biodiversity Conservation in the Tropics: Gaps in Habitat Protection and Funding
Priorities (1997)
- WWF Forest for Life Campaign and Living Waters Campaign (1996/1998)
- European Forests and Protected Areas: Gap Analysis (2000)
- FAO Global Forest Resource Assessment (2000)
- Prioritisation of Target Areas For Forest Restoration (Report to WWF, 2000)
- Mountain Watch Study (2002)
- Protected areas information support for the Vth World Parks Congress (2003)
- Global Environment Outlook (ongoing)
- Global Biodiversity Outlook (ongoing)
- World Resources Report (ongoing)
- Protected area and thematic studies for the World Heritage Convention (ongoing)
- Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
- Millennium Development Goals
The databases held by UNEP-WCMC are
frequently used in international oil spill emergency response action and contingency planning.
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