WDPCA: Jamaica Protected and Conserved Areas Geospatial Data

Jamaica's marine and terrestrial protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) managed by UNEP-WCMC. This dataset integrates the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and the World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM) as of March 2026. It serves as the primary authoritative source for tracking Jamaica's progress toward the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3.

Use Cases

• Spatial analysis of marine versus terrestrial conservation coverage using GeoJSON boundaries
• Reporting on Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
• Identifying biodiversity risks within project boundaries for commercial environmental impact assessments

Strengths

• Official data source for UN Sustainable Development Goals and IPBES indicators
• Unified database combining WDPA and WD-OECM records
• Available in four formats including GeoJSON, GeoPackage, and CSV

Limitations

• Specific attribute column names and metadata definitions are not provided in the source summary
• Geographic scope is restricted to Jamaica, requiring external joins for regional Caribbean analysis

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Compiled from government reports, international secretariats, and stakeholders

Freshness

Updated on a monthly basis.

Geography

Jamaica