WDPCA: Protected and Conserved Areas in Republic of Korea

This geospatial dataset provides the boundaries and status of marine and terrestrial protected areas in the Republic of Korea, managed by the UNEP-WCMC. It integrates the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and the World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM) into a single repository. The data is updated on a monthly basis to support international reporting for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Use Cases

• Calculating the percentage of terrestrial and marine territory under conservation to track Target 3 progress
• Overlaying project boundaries with protected area polygons to identify biodiversity risks in the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT)
• Environmental policy analysis using the WD-OECM and WDPA classifications

Strengths

• Official UN-backed data source from UNEP-WCMC and IUCN
• Combines both WDPA and WD-OECM categories for a unified view
• Available in four formats including GeoJSON and GeoPackage

Limitations

• Specific attribute schemas and row counts are not detailed in the source metadata
• Reporting lag from local government agencies may affect the inclusion of newly designated areas

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Compiled from government submissions and stakeholder collaborations under the Protected Planet Initiative

Freshness

Updated monthly; last record indicates maintenance as of March 2026.

Geography

Republic of Korea