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

UNEP-WCMC maintains this geospatial dataset of marine and terrestrial protected areas and conservation measures within Germany, updated as of March 2026. It merges the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and the World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM) into a single resource for biodiversity tracking.

Use Cases

• Spatial analysis of marine and terrestrial boundaries to identify biodiversity risks within project boundaries
• Reporting on progress toward Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
• Tracking core indicators for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)

Strengths

• Official UN-backed data from UNEP-WCMC and IUCN
• Available in four formats including GeoJSON and GeoPackage
• Monthly update cycle for high temporal accuracy

Limitations

• Specific attribute schema and row counts are not detailed in the metadata
• Geographic scope is limited to Germany

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Compiled in collaboration with governments and international stakeholders

Time Range

Up to March 2026

Freshness

Updated on a monthly basis; current version dated March 2026.

Geography

Germany