About the WDPA 2006 Update
The 2006 version of the World Database of Protected Areas (WDPA 2006) has greatly improved its accuracy if compared to the previous versions WDPA 2003, 2004 and 2005.
The spatial and aspatial components of WDPA continue to be updated on a daily basis. Data arrives from a number of different sources ranging from country agencies, NGO's, IGO's to the WDPA Consortium and contributing projects or partners such as GRASP and the EEA.
The WDPA Consortium provides a focal point through which information and ideas are both pooled and shared. The Consortium members through their own projects and programmes and by tapping into a network of in-country expertise, perform a vital information-gathering role. After such information has been entered into the WDPA, the Consortium provide a quality control function by cross checking/evaluating data holdings and suggesting improvements.
Significant Changes since WDPA 2005
AUSTRALIA - The national polygon data cannot be distributed due to licensing restrictions. Where we have existing polygon data these have been updated with the latest attributes.For World Heritage Sites (Natural) the following countries have had changes:
Belize
Guatemala
Egypt
Japan
Mexico
Norway
Panama
South Africa
Thailand
India
For World Heritage Sites (Mixed) the following countries have had changes:
Australia
United Kingdom
For UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserves (MAB) the following countries have had changes:
Algeria
Australia
Austria
Belarus
Benin
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Côte d'Ivoire
Cuba
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Egypt
Finland
France
Germany, Federal Republic of
Honduras
India
Iran, Islamic Republic of
Italy
Kenya
Korea, DPR
Lebanon
Madagascar
Mauritania
Mexico
Micronesia
Mongolia
Netherlands
Niger
Palau
Paraguay
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russian Fed.
Senegal
Slovenia
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States
Viet Nam
For Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) the following countries have had changes:
Albania
Algeria
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Canada
Central African Republic
Chad
Côte d'Ivoire
El Salvador
Finland
Guinea
Honduras
India
Japan
Jamaica
Kenya
Korea, Republic of
Kyrgyzstan
Lesotho
Madagascar
Malaysia
Marshall Islands
Mexico
Moldova, Republic of
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
New Zealand
Niger
Poland
Samoa
Seychelles
Sudan
Switzerland
Tanzania, United Republic of
Trinidad and Tobago
United Kingdom
United States
Viet Nam
For ASEAN Heritage Declaration Sites the following countries have had changes:
Brunei Darussalem
Cambodia
Indonesia
Lao PDR
Malaysia
Myanmar
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Viet Nam
For International Maritime Organization (IMO) Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas the following countries have had changes:
Australia
Colombia
Cuba
Ecuador
Peru
Spain
United States
Western Europe (Belgium, France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and United Kingdom)
Wadden Sea (Netherlands, Denmark and Germany)
Baltic Sea Area (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland & Sweden)
For nationally designated protected areas the following countries have had changes:
Argentina
Australia
Azebaijan
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belize
Brazil
Brunei Darussalem
Bulgaria
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Central African Republic
Chile
China
Colombia
Congo
Congo, Democratic Republic of
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Cuba
Egypt
Estonia
Fiji
Gabon
Guinea
Guatemala
Honduras
Iran, Islamic Republic of
Ireland
Indonesia
Kenya
Korea, Republic of
Lao PDR
Lithuania
Madagascar
Malaysia
Malawi
Maritius
Mexico
Myanmar
Nepal
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Peru
Philippines
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saudi Arabia
Sudan
Singapore
Spain
South Africa
Sri Lanka
St Helena
Switzerland
Tanzania, United Republic of
Thailand
Uganda
United Kingdom
Zambia
Many other minor changes have been made to individual sites in the database.
Version Control
This version was prepared for World Database on Protected Areas Consortium on
7th February 2006.
This version supercedes all previous versions.