Gambia Protected and Conserved Areas: Official UNEP-WCMC Geospatial Data

This geospatial dataset maps the marine and terrestrial protected areas and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) within Gambia. Produced by the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) in collaboration with the IUCN, the data is updated on a monthly basis to support international biodiversity reporting. It serves as the primary evidence base for tracking Gambia's progress toward the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3.

Use Cases

• Calculating the percentage of protected land and water in Gambia using spatial boundary polygons
• Identifying biodiversity risks for project planning by intersecting project footprints with OECM coordinates
• Reporting on Sustainable Development Goal indicators related to terrestrial and marine conservation

Strengths

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

Limitations

• Specific attribute names and row counts are not detailed in the source metadata
• Potential lag between national-level designation changes and database synchronization

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Compiled from government reports, international secretariats, and conservation stakeholders.

Freshness

Updated monthly; current version reflects status as of March 2026.

Geography

Gambia