This article is about protected regions of environmental or cultural value. For the protected area of a cricket pitch, see Cricket pitch.
World map with percentage of each country under protection (2005 data)
0–3.9% of the country is protected
3.9–11.3% protected
11.3–22.7% protected
22.7–41.8% protected
41.8–72.3% protected
No data
Share of important terrestrial biodiversity areas under protection, as of 2018.
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood, non-timber forest products, water, ...) is limited.[1]
The term "protected area" also includes marine protected areas and transboundary protected areas across multiple borders. As of 2016, there are over 161,000 protected areas representing about 17 percent of the world's land surface area (excluding Antarctica).[2][3][4][5][6]
For waters under national jurisdiction beyond inland waters, there are 14,688 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), covering approximately 10.2% of coastal and marine areas and 4.12% of global ocean areas.[2] In contrast, only 0.25% of the world's oceans beyond national jurisdiction are covered by MPAs.[2][7]
Protected areas are implemented for biodiversity conservation, often providing habitat and protection from hunting for threatened and endangered species. Protection helps maintain ecological processes that cannot survive in most intensely managed landscapes and seascapes.[11] Indigenous peoples and local communities frequently criticize this method of fortress conservation for the generally violent processes by which the regulations of the areas are enforced.[12]