Samoa Protected and Conserved Areas: WDPCA Geospatial Boundaries

This geospatial dataset provides marine and terrestrial protected area boundaries for Samoa, managed by the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). It integrates the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and the World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM) as of March 2026. The data serves as the primary source for international biodiversity reporting and conservation planning in the region.

Use Cases

• Calculating the percentage of terrestrial and marine territory under conservation to track progress toward the 30x30 biodiversity target
• Identifying biodiversity risks within project boundaries by overlaying protected area polygons with infrastructure development plans
• Analyzing the spatial distribution of Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) versus traditional protected areas

Strengths

• Official UN-backed data from UNEP-WCMC and IUCN
• Available in multiple geospatial formats including GeoJSON, GeoPackage, and GeoService
• Integrates both WDPA and WD-OECM frameworks into a single source

Limitations

• Specific record count and attribute schema are not detailed in the provided metadata
• Geographic scope is restricted to Samoa

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Compiled from government reports, international secretariats, and stakeholder submissions.

Freshness

Updated on a monthly basis according to the source documentation.

Geography

Samoa