Percentage of terrestrial and aquatic areas that are protected

The percentage of terrestrial and aquatic surface area covered by protected areas or Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) for each country/economy. This measure is consistent with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) indicator 3.1 (Coverage of protected areas and OECMs), which measures progress toward reaching Target 3, focused on conserving 30% of terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas by 2030.

Protected areas are defined by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as areas of “clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated, and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.”

Other effective area-based conservation measures are defined by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) as “a geographically defined area other than a Protected Area, which is governed and managed in ways that achieve positive and sustained long-term outcomes for the in-situ conservation of biodiversity, with associated ecosystem functions and services and where applicable, cultural, spiritual, socio–economic, and other locally relevant values.” This indicator will reflect the coverage of protected areas and OECMs for terrestrial and inland waters, as well as for coastal and marine areas.