WDPCA: Protected and Conserved Areas in the Marshall Islands

UNEP-WCMC and IUCN provide this geospatial dataset of marine and terrestrial protected areas in the Marshall Islands, updated 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) to track biodiversity conservation progress. The data serves as the primary source for reporting on Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Use Cases

• Spatial analysis of marine protected area coverage to track progress toward the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3
• Integration into the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) to identify environmental risks for project planning
• Mapping terrestrial conservation zones for reporting on UN Sustainable Development Goals

Strengths

• Official UN-backed data source from UNEP-WCMC and IUCN
• Combines WDPA and WD-OECM frameworks into a single resource
• Available in four formats including GeoJSON, GeoPackage, and CSV

Limitations

• Geographic scope is restricted to the Marshall Islands
• Lack of specific column metadata prevents detailed field-level validation before download

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Compiled from government reports and stakeholder submissions in collaboration with IUCN.

Freshness

Updated on a monthly basis.

Geography

Marshall Islands