WDPCA: Portugal Protected and Conserved Areas Geospatial Data

Geospatial boundaries and metadata for marine and terrestrial protected areas in Portugal are provided in this dataset managed by the UNEP-WCMC and IUCN. Updated on a monthly basis, the records include both traditional protected areas and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs).

Use Cases

• Spatial analysis of terrestrial vs. marine conservation coverage in Portugal using area geometries
• Environmental impact assessments for commercial projects by intersecting project boundaries with protected area polygons
• Biodiversity risk modeling by integrating these conservation boundaries with external species distribution data

Strengths

• Monthly update cycle provides high temporal freshness
• Official UN-backed provenance from UNEP-WCMC and IUCN
• Multi-format availability including GeoJSON, GeoPackage, and CSV

Limitations

• Specific attribute field names and definitions are not provided in the source metadata
• Data quality is contingent on the reporting accuracy of national and local Portuguese authorities

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Compiled from government and stakeholder reporting

Freshness

Updated on a monthly basis.

Geography

Portugal