Liberia Protected and Conserved Areas: WDPA and WD-OECM Geospatial Data

This geospatial dataset maps marine and terrestrial protected areas and conservation measures across Liberia. Produced by the UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, the data is updated on a monthly basis to support international biodiversity reporting. It serves as the primary source for tracking progress toward the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3.

Use Cases

• Calculating the total percentage of protected land and water in Liberia to report on Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets
• Identifying biodiversity risks within project boundaries by overlaying infrastructure plans with protected area polygons
• Tracking core indicators for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) using spatial designations

Strengths

• Monthly update frequency ensures the inclusion of the latest conservation designations
• Official joint product of the UN Environment Programme and the IUCN
• Provided in four formats (GEOJSON, GEOPACKAGE, CSV, GEOSERVICE) for cross-platform GIS compatibility

Limitations

• Relies on voluntary reporting from national governments, which may lead to temporal lags in boundary updates
• Specific attribute field names are not explicitly listed in the source metadata

Provenance

Source

UNEP-WCMC and IUCN

Collection Method

Compiled from government reports and stakeholder submissions

Freshness

Updated on a monthly basis.

Geography

Liberia