WDPCA: Protected and Conserved Areas in Congo (Geospatial)

Managed by the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, this geospatial dataset maps marine and terrestrial protected areas across Congo. It integrates records from the World Database on Protected Areas and the World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures, with updates provided as recently as March 2026.

Use Cases

• Calculating the percentage of terrestrial and marine territory under conservation to track Target 3 progress
• Identifying biodiversity risks within project boundaries for environmental impact assessments
• Mapping conservation corridors by overlaying protected area boundaries with land cover data

Strengths

• Official UN-backed data source for reporting on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
• Available in four formats including GeoJSON, GeoPackage, and CSV
• Combines formerly separate WDPA and WD-OECM databases into a single integrated source

Limitations

• Data accuracy is dependent on the reporting frequency and precision of national government agencies
• Specific attribute fields and column definitions are not provided in the primary metadata

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Compiled from government reports, international secretariats, and conservation stakeholders

Freshness

Updated on a monthly basis.

Geography

Congo