WDPCA: Protected and Conserved Areas in Switzerland (Monthly Updates)

Geospatial boundaries for marine and terrestrial protected areas in Switzerland are updated monthly by the UNEP-WCMC. The resource integrates the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and the World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM). It serves as the official record for tracking progress toward the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Use Cases

• Calculating the percentage of Swiss territory under conservation using protected area polygons
• Identifying biodiversity risks by intersecting project boundaries with conservation area coordinates
• Tracking Swiss progress toward the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3

Strengths

• Official data source for UN Sustainable Development Goal tracking
• Includes both WDPA and WD-OECM conservation frameworks
• Available in GEOJSON, GEOPACKAGE, and CSV formats

Limitations

• Specific attribute column names and record counts are not defined in the source metadata
• Spatial accuracy is dependent on the reporting precision of national government stakeholders

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Compiled from government and stakeholder submissions

Freshness

Updated on a monthly basis

Geography

Switzerland