WDPCA: Protected and Conserved Areas in North Korea (DPRK)

This geospatial dataset provides boundaries and status information for marine and terrestrial protected areas and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Maintained by the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the IUCN, the data is updated monthly to track international biodiversity targets.

Use Cases

• Spatial overlap analysis using GEOJSON boundary coordinates to identify biodiversity risks in project planning
• Calculating terrestrial and marine protection percentages for Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework reporting
• Monitoring land-use changes within designated conservation zones using GEOSERVICE layers

Strengths

• Official UN-backed data source from UNEP-WCMC and IUCN
• Monthly update frequency ensures current status tracking
• Available in multiple formats including GEOJSON, GEOPACKAGE, and GEOSERVICE

Limitations

• Potential lack of ground-truth verification for sites within the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
• Attribute density for management effectiveness may be sparse for this specific geography

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Compiled from government reports and stakeholder submissions through the Protected Planet Initiative.

Freshness

Updated on a monthly basis.

Geography

Democratic People's Republic of Korea