WDPCA: Italy Protected and Conserved Areas in GEOJSON and CSV

Managed by the UNEP-WCMC, this geospatial collection maps marine and terrestrial protected areas across Italy as of March 2026. It integrates 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 monitoring.

Use Cases

• Calculating the percentage of Italian land and waters under conservation using GEOJSON spatial boundaries
• Identifying biodiversity risks for infrastructure projects by overlaying GEOPACKAGE layers with site locations
• Tracking progress toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) using the conservation status attributes

Strengths

• Monthly update frequency ensures data reflects recent designation changes
• Provides data in four formats including GEOPACKAGE and GEOSERVICE
• Official source for reporting on Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

Limitations

• Attribute schema and specific column definitions are not explicitly listed in the metadata
• Focus is restricted to Italian territory, excluding international waters beyond national jurisdiction

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

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

Freshness

Updated on a monthly basis.

Geography

Italy