This report compiles and analyzes data to evaluate progress toward increasing the amount of land and waterways protected by nations worldwide. The report finds that protected areas are increasing. Protected terrestrial areas, including land and inland waterways, increased from by 8.8% in 1990 to 12.7% in 2012 and the amount of ocean areas covered increased from .9% to 4%.

At the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) a committee was formed to set international goals and standards for biological diversity. This committee, the Programme of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA), established 20 targets to be achieved internationally by 2020. This report is focused on progress made toward Target 11, which sets the goal of having at least 17% of the world’s terrestrial areas and 10% of the world’s oceans protected by 2020. Protected areas are increasing, but are behind the target figures.

Excerpt from Report Summary:

• “From 1990 to 2010, global protected area coverage has increased from 8.8% to 12.7% in terrestrial areas (including inland waters) and from 0.9% to 4% in marine areas under national jurisdiction.”
• “The percentage of terrestrial ecoregions meeting the 17% target has increased from 21% to 33%, and the percentage of marine ecoregions meeting the 10% target from 3% to 13%.”
• “…[N]early half the world’s protected area estate is within sustainable-use areas and protected landscapes / seascapes, and nearly a quarter is managed by non-governmental actors or under co-management arrangements, often with indigenous peoples or local communities.”
• “Over 220 transboundary protected area complexes and 350 large-scale connectivity conservation initiatives exist, connecting and integrating thousands of individual protected areas into wider landscapes and seascapes. However, protected area connectivity has not yet been assessed at the global level.”
• “Over 100 countries have submitted national action plans for implementation of the CBD Programme of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA) and over 90 countries have identified national protected area targets.”
• You can access a PDF of the full report here.