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

This geospatial dataset provides the World Database on Protected and Conserved Areas (WDPCA) for Mauritania, managed by the UNEP-WCMC in collaboration with the IUCN. It integrates terrestrial and marine protected area boundaries with Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) as of March 2026. The data serves as the official record for tracking progress toward the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3.

Use Cases

• Spatial analysis of terrestrial and marine conservation coverage to track progress toward the 30x30 biodiversity target
• Environmental risk assessment for commercial projects by intersecting project boundaries with protected area polygons
• Reporting on national indicators for the UN Sustainable Development Goals and IPBES assessments

Strengths

• Includes both WDPA and WD-OECM data types
• Available in four GIS-ready formats including GEOJSON and GEOPACKAGE
• Official data source for UN Sustainable Development Goal tracking

Limitations

• Specific record count and attribute schema are not provided in the source metadata
• Geographic scope is limited to Mauritania, requiring external datasets for transboundary analysis

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

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

Freshness

Updated on a monthly basis by UNEP-WCMC.

Geography

Mauritania