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Nature Needs Half News!

 March 2011 

New online tool gives information about.....

How Much of our Planet is Protected Now? 

 

  Protected Planet  

 

ProtectedPlanet.net is an interactive online tool to discover & research designated parks and protected areas world-wide.  Informed by the World Database on Protected Areas (a project of the United Nations Environmental Programme), ProtectedPlanet.net features a searchable database of designated terrestrial and marine protected areas.*     

 

Our Nature Needs Half team dove into the data on the 221 countries included on ProtectedPlanet.net and came up with some interesting TOP 5 lists.  This research gives us a good idea about "How much is protected now?" -- but leaves a lot of room for your input.   

 

We encourage you to explore this interactive tool, contribute photos or other information to expand the information available and perhaps combine the data with local and regional information to create a clear picture of "How much is protected?" where you live.    

 

Our Nature Needs Half TOP 5 LISTS*

 

TOP 5 Countries for cumulative land & marine (national) protected areas

  1. Venezuela    50.18%
  2. Liechtenstein    42.44%
  3. Hong Kong    41.79%
  4. Germany, Federal Republic of    40.22%
  5. Greenland    40.05%    

  • 16 countries have a cumulative protection higher than 25% including Brazil, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia and Tanzania;
  • Saudi Arabia had the biggest overall increase of protection between 1990 and 2009 adding 22.7% of new protected areas;
  • Kiribati and Brazil have the highest percentage of new protected areas between 1999 and 2009 with new protection of 19% and 11%, respectively.  

 

TOP 5 Countries for (national) marine protection

  1. Guinea-Bissau    45.82%
  2. Greenland    36.52%
  3. Germany, Federal Republic of    36.29%
  4. Romania    33.24%
  5. Mauritania    32.13%   

  • 8 countries have protected over 25% of their marine environment including Australia, Estonia and Dominican Republic;
  • Guinea-Bissau added 43.15% of new marine protection between 1990 and 2009;
  • Kiribati, Australia and Italy are leading the way for new marine protected areas in the last decade with respective additions of 19.4%, 16.1% and 14.5%.

 

Top 5 Countries for (national) terrestrial protection

  1. Martinique    58.23%
  2. Venezuela    53.75%
  3. Turks and Caicos Islands    42.92%
  4. Brunei Darussalam    42.86%
  5. Liechtenstein    42.44%   

  • 22 countries have protected over 25% of their land including Bhutan, New Zealand, Ecuador and Guatemala;
  • The Turks and Caicos Islands added 38% of new land protection cumulatively over the past twenty years;
  • Brazil and Equatorial Guinea have created more than 10% of new land protection in the last decade.
 

More information  

Visit ProtectedPlanet.net  

World Database on Protected Areas 

Read more about Nature Needs Half and our latest news  

 

*Information on the World Database for Protected Areas (WDPA) is self-reported by participating countries.  Read the WDPA "Frequently Asked Questions" to learn more about how data is collected and organized> 

  

 

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