WDPCA: Protected and Conserved Areas in Afghanistan (2026 Update)

This geospatial dataset maps the marine and terrestrial protected areas and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) within Afghanistan. Produced by the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) as part of the Protected Planet Initiative, the data was last updated in March 2026. It serves as the primary resource for tracking progress toward international biodiversity targets, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Use Cases

• Calculating the total percentage of protected land in Afghanistan to track Target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework
• Performing spatial overlap analysis with infrastructure project boundaries using GeoJSON files to identify biodiversity risks
• Monitoring progress toward UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to terrestrial and marine conservation

Strengths

• Official UN-backed data source for international biodiversity reporting
• Consolidates both WDPA and WD-OECM records into a single framework
• Available in multiple GIS-ready formats including GeoJSON and GeoPackage

Limitations

• Attribute completeness depends on reporting frequency from national and local authorities
• Specific record count for the Afghanistan subset is not explicitly provided in the metadata

Provenance

Source

UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and IUCN

Collection Method

Compiled from government reports, international secretariats, and conservation stakeholders

Freshness

Updated on a monthly basis to reflect new designations and status changes.

Geography

Afghanistan