Country environment and development profiles
Country statistics
Development indicators
Environment and biodiversity indicators
Forest-related greenhouse gas fluxes
Net forest-related greenhouses gas flux represents the net exchange of greenhouses gas between forests and the atmosphere between 2001 and 2020. This net flux layer is part of the forest carbon flux model described in Harris et al. (2021). Here, the average annual net fluxes in MtCO₂e is shown at global level and the average annual net fluxes in MtCO₂e/ha in protected areas and outside protected areas at national level.
The researcher estimated the Net Forest Carbon Flux calculating the balance between carbon emitted and sequestered by forests during the last 20 years (2001-2020). Negative values are found where forests sequestered more carbon from the atmosphere than what they emitted and positive values are found where emissions from stand-replacing forest disturbances were higher than removals. Emissions include all relevant ecosystem carbon pools (aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, dead wood, litter, soil) and greenhouse gases (CO2, NH4, N2O) while removals are into the aboveground and belowground biomass pools.
Source:Harris et al. (2021). Global maps of 21st century forest carbon fluxes, from Global Forest Watch.CC BY 4.0
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Data Uploaded by Simona Lippi using the BIOPAMA Services (2022)
Changing in Mangrove Protection
Mangroves forests are a crucial coastal ecosystem in tropics and subtropics countries. They provide a lot of environmental and socio-economic services and they are the main strategy for the resilience of coast areas to climate change impacts.
According to the mangrove forests dataset released in the Global Mangrove Watch Version 3.0, there were 42063, 614 km2 within ACP countries in 2020. The most extensive area of mangroves falls within West Africa region with Nigeria that host around19% of the ACP mangroves.
Protected and conserved areas continue playing a pivotal role in protect mangroves and prevent their future loss. The protection has increased from 4347,39 sqkm in 1996 to 14370,18 sqkm in 2020 and nowadays, 34% of all the ACP mangroves fall within protected and conserved areas.
source dataset:Bunting, P., Rosenqvist, A., Hilarides, L., Lucas, R., Thomas, N., Tadono, T., Worthington, T., Spalding, M., Murray, N., & Rebelo, L.-M. (2022). Global Mangrove Watch (1996 - 2020) Version 3.0 Dataset (3.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6894273
Tidal Marshes Protection
Researcher at The University of Cambridge and global environment nonprofit The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have published a 10 m resolution map of Earth’s tidal marshes
Tidal marshes are productive coastal ecosystems that are important to human wellbeing and biodiversity. Moreover, The marshes store carbon in their soils for millennia, making them crucial contributors to climate change mitigation efforts
These ecosystems have been jeopardised by human activities mainly because of the growth of coastal populations
Understand where tidal marshes are and how much they have been protected by each country is important to identify new opportunity for conservation initiatives and policies, assess the progress toward conservation targets and monitor their status
The map is available through google earth engine
We estimate that over 47,7% (1499 km2 ) of the ACPs 3140 km2 of tidal marshes are found within the boundaries of protected areas. In the Conservation Tracking tool it is possible to have first glance of the tidal protection by country and the tidal extent in any protected areas in sqkm.
Analysis performed by Simona Lippi. BIOPAMA APIs
Worthington, T. A., M. Spalding, E. Landis, T. L. Maxwell, A. Navarro, L. S. Smart, and N. J. Murray. 2023. The distribution of global tidal marshes from earth observation data. bioRxiv DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.26.542433
Percentage of Indigenous People Lands that are protected
Territories and areas that are conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities are called ICCAs that is an abbreviation for the territories and areas conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities. There are several protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) reported to Protected Planet under the governance of indigenous peoples and local communities. However, a global map of Indigenous Peoples’ land occupation is still missing. Garnett et al (2018) analised the spatial distribution of Indigenous Peoples Lands and showed that about 7.8 million km2 (20.7%) of Indigenous Peoples’ lands are within protected areas, encompassing at least 40% of the global protected area. Another recent study analysed compared the integrity of forests located in PIAs – lands legally managed or owned by Indigenous Communities to regular protected areas, non-protected areas and Indigenous lands demostrating that Protected Indigenous areas accounted for preserving the healthiest forests. Here we are showing the percentage of Indigenous Peoples'Lands that are protected.
Uploaded by Simona Lippi (biopama_api)
Source: Garnett, S. T., Burgess, N. D., Fa, J. E., Fernández-Llamazares, Á., Molnár, Z., Robinson, C. J., ... & Leiper, I. (2018). A spatial overview of the global importance of Indigenous lands for conservation. Nature Sustainability, 1(7), 369-374.
Conserving and Protecting Intact Forest Landscapes
An intact forest landscape (IFL) is a seamless mosaic of forest and naturally treeless ecosystems with no remotely detected signs of human activity and a minimum area of 500 km2. (Potapov et al.2017) Intact forests are complex and diverse ecosystems that if lost, are irreplaceable. Research shows that designating intact forest landscapes as protected areas has proven effective at limiting their fragmentation. Since 2000, around 100 conserved and protected areas were created in intact forests areas in ACP countries, increasing the percentage of IFL protected from 11% in 2000 to 26% in 2020.
Differences in countries in terms of IFL area reduction: Cuba has not experienced any reduction in IFLs and nowadays its intact forests are fully protected by PAs (544sqkm). At the contrary Angola still not has any kind of protection for its IFLs and experienced a reduction of 39,83% of its IFL (1160 sqkm).The reduction of IFL area in ACP countries was higher outside PAs (19%) than within PAs (5%).Madagascar is the country where the reduction of IFL areas was very high inside protected areas (2420 sqkm). The IFL loss inside PAs has been more than 40% between 2000 and 2020. Central African Republic reach 23% of reduction inside PAs (938,13 sqkm). This layer shows the percentage of IFLs protected by country
Analysis performed and uploaded by Simona Lippi
Source data
Potapov, P., Hansen, M.C., Laestadius, L., Turubanova, S., Yaroshenko, A., Thies, C., Smith, W., Zhuravleva, I., Komarova, A., Minnemeyer, S. and Esipova, E., 2017. The last frontiers of wilderness: Tracking loss of intact forest landscapes from 2000 to 2013. Science advances, 3(1), p.e1600821.
Number of IMET assessments by country
IMET is a Protected Area Management Effectiveness (PAME) tool that allows an in-depth assessment of marine and terrestrial protected areas, regardless of their management categories and governance type. It is also a decision support tool that helps protected area managers take analysis-based management decisions for improved conservation outcomes.
Typically, the first IMET assessment consists of a 3-4 day workshop with the protected area team and key stakeholders facilitated by one or two IMET coaches.
To know more about IMET tool, please check our PAME Assessments Module (https://rris.biopama.org/pame/tools)
Standard Material Transfer Agreements (SMTAs)
Indicator 15.6.1: Total reported number of Standard Material Transfer Agreements (SMTAs) transferring plant genetic resources for food and agriculture to the country (number). The Contracting Parties to the Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture have established a Multilateral System both to facilitate access to Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and to share, in a fair and equitable way, the benefits arising from the utilization of these resources, on a complementary and mutually reinforcing basis. Article 12.4 of the Treaty provides that facilitated access under the Multilateral System shall be provided pursuant to a Standard Material Transfer Agreement, and the Governing Body of the Treaty, in its Resolution 1/2006 of 16 June 2006, adopted the Standard Material Transfer Agreement.
The Standard Material Transfer Agreement is a mandatory model for parties wishing to provide and receive material under the Multilateral System.
For this complementary sub-indicator, the unit of measurement is the number of Standard Material Transfer Agreements (SMTAs). The total number of SMTAs transferring plant genetic resources for food and agriculture to the country is a cumulative figure. It is calculated based on information generated through the Easy-SMTA platform. The data is the number of SMTA reported through the online system of Easy-SMTA for each country. SMTA is a mandatory contract that Contracting Parties of the International Treaty have agreed to use whenever plant genetic resources falling under the Multilateral System are made available through transfer. The number of SMTA issued (signed) could be higher, as all SMTAs signed may not be reported through the online system and therefore not recorded
Natural Areas Protection Levels
How well are different ecosystem types, as indicated by land cover, preserved and how strong are anthropogenic changes affecting their distribution in a given area? Human pressures are constantly increasing and it is important to monitor the consequences of the associated changes on the environment, in particular inside and around protected areas to ensure that natural ecosystems and their
associated species and ecosystem functions (e.g. goods and services) are preserved. By comparing land cover maps over time at the country, ecoregion and protected area level, land use changes can be identified.
Indicator unit: Natural areas and their protection statistics are expressed in km2 of the area of interest.
Area of interest: Natural areas and their protection statistics have been generated for each country.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Average protection of Key Biodiversity Areas
In which countries are the sites that most contribute to global biodiversity persistence located and how well are these sites covered by protected areas in each country?
Safeguarding the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) is vital for halting the decline in biodiversity and for ensuring the long-term and sustainable use of terrestrial and marine natural resources. The establishment of protected areas in the locations where these KBAs are found is one of the priority actions to safeguard their conservation values. The KBA-related indicators contribute to measuring progress towards Aichi Target 11 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and are also part of the suite of indicators adopted to assess progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 15 (life on land).
Indicator unit: Average protection percentage of KBAs.
Area of interest: The indicator is available at the country level.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Protection Levels of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) by country
In which countries are the sites that most contribute to global biodiversity persistence located and how well are these sites covered by protected areas in each country? Safeguarding the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) is vital for halting the decline in biodiversity and for ensuring the long term and sustainable use ofterrestrial and marine natural resources. The establishment of protected areas in the locations where these KBAs are found is one of the priority actions to safeguard their conservation values. The KBA-related indicators contribute to measuring progress towards Aichi Target 11 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and are also part of the suite of indicators adopted to assess progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 15 (life on land).
Indicator unit: Number of KBAs in each country.
Area of interest: Number of KBAs completely covered by protected areas (PAs), partially covered by PAs, and with no coverage by PAs in each country
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Protected Areas Connectivity (ProtConn)
How well connected are the terrestrial protected area systems at the country level? This indicator can be used to assess the degree to which the spatial arrangement of Protected Areas (PAs) is successful in ensuring connectivity of protected lands; to monitor the country progress towards Aichi Target 11 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and design where additional efforts are most needed in expanding or reinforcing the connectivity of PA systems.
Reference: Saura, S., Bastin, L., Battistella, L., Mandrici, A., Dubois, G. 2017. Protected areas in the world’s ecoregions: how well connected are they? Ecological Indicators, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.12.047
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Megafauna Conservation Index
The Megafauna Conservation Index (MCI), developed by researcher led by Peter Lindsey of the University of Pretoria in South Africa, wants to assess the spatial, ecological and financial contributions of countries towards conservation of the world’s terrestrial megafauna. The index focused on three main components regarding megafauna ecology and conservation:
the proportion of the country occupied by each megafauna species,
the proportion of the range of these species that’s strictly protected in each country
the amount of money spent on conservation by each country – either domestically or internationally, relative to GDP.
Here the index is reported for the ACP countries.
In the paper megafauna is defined as large mammals as species weighing more than 150 kg for carnivores and 100 kg for omnivores and herbivores.
MCI index was then standardised into a 0–100 scale.
To learn more on the methodology used by research to estimate the MCI, please refer to the paper:
Lindsey, P. A., Chapron, G., Petracca, L. S., Burnham, D., Hayward, M. W., Henschel, P., … & Ripple, W. J. (2017). Relative efforts of countries to conserve world’s megafauna. Global Ecology and Conservation, 10, 243-252. doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2017.03.003
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Data Uploaded by Simona Lippi using the BIOPAMA Services (2022)
Representativeness of semi-natural terrestrial ecosystems in protected areas
Number of terrestrial semi-natural ecosystems protected compared to those existing in each country.
Terrestrial Ecosystems in Country and WDPA protected sites. Analysis performed by L. Battistella in February 2021. Original dataset provided by "USGS-TNC" (World Terrestrial Ecosystems, Sayre et al. 2020).
Protection of the West African Manatee
The West African Manatee, Trichechus senegalensis, listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, inhabits shallow coastal waters, wetland systems and rivers from Senegal to Angola.
Some of the most threats to this species include incidental capture in nets, hunting for meat, skin, bones and oil, and moreover habitat loss as a result of the damming of rivers, cutting of mangroves for firewood, coastal development, and the destruction of wetlands for agricultural development.
West African Manatee is listed on Appendix II of CITES and is protected by national laws.
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Data Uploaded by Simona Lippi using the BIOPAMA Services (2022)
Diversity of terrestrial ecosystems in protected areas
Terrestrial Ecosystems in Country and WDPA protected sites. Analysis performed by L. Battistella in February 2021. Original dataset provided by "USGS-TNC" (World Terrestrial Ecosystems, Sayre et al. 2020).
Diversity of terrestrial ecosystems in protected areas and countries expressed by Shannon index.
Shannon or Shannon--Weaver (or Shannon--Wiener) index is defined as $H = -sum p_i log(b) p_i$, where $p_i$ is the proportional abundance of species $i$ and $b$ is the base of the logarithm. It is most popular to use natural logarithms, but some argue for base $b = 2$ (which makes sense, but no real difference).
Range: SHDI ≥ 0, without limit. SHDI = 0 when the landscape contains only 1 patch (i.e., no diversity). SHDI increases as the number of different patch types (i.e., patch richness) increases and/or the proportional distribution of area among patch types becomes more equitable.
Warm-Water Corals Protection
The dataset shows the country's protection percentage of Warm-Water Corals for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. The original dataset and statistics are provided by UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC).
Source:UNEP-WCMC (2021). Ocean+ Habitats [On-line], [July 2021]. Available at: habitats.oceanplus.org
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Data Uploaded by Simona Lippi using the BIOPAMA Services (2022)
Mangrove Forests Extent in Protected Areas
This dataset shows the Mangrove Forests Protection for the year 2016 and the country mangrove extent for years 1996 and 2016. The dataset is a subset of the global mangrove extent dataset generated by the Global Mangrove Watch (GMW) – a collaboration between Aberystwyth University (U.K.), solo Earth Observation (soloEO), Wetlands International, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
Bunting P., Rosenqvist A., Lucas R., Rebelo L-M., Hilarides L., Thomas N., Hardy A., Itoh T., Shimada M. and Finlayson C.M. (2018). The Global Mangrove Watch – a New 2010 Global Baseline of Mangrove Extent. Remote Sensing 10(10): 1669. doi: 10.3390/rs1010669
More reference: Thomas N, Lucas R, Bunting P, Hardy A, Rosenqvist A, Simard M. (2017). Distribution and drivers of global mangrove forest change, 1996-2010. PLOS ONE 12: e0179302. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179302
Analysis performed by L. Battistella in March 2021
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Mangroves Loss
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Mangroves Gain
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Mangroves Stable
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the BIOPAMA Services (2021)
Biodiversity important areas index
Index of biodiversity importance based on Key Biodiversity Areas coverage and species richness from IUCN Red List. It can be used as proxy of biodiversity exposure in risk and vulnerability analysis.
It is a dimension of the composite indicator on vulnerability to global travel and tourism crises.
References
BirdLife International ([2021]). The World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas. Developed by the KBA Partnership: BirdLife International, International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Amphibian Survival Alliance, Conservation International, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Global Environment Facility, Global Wildlife Conservation, NatureServe, Rainforest Trust, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Wildlife Conservation Society and World Wildlife Fund. Available at www.keybiodiversityareas.org. [Accessed (please insert date of download 01/01/2021)]
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species TM country summaries (IUCN, 2020c) available from: http://www.iucnredlist.org/about/summary-statistics, accessed through DOPA 4.0 rest services on 09/2020.
Geospatial Data - State of NBSAPs publication_2021
STATUS OF DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY STRATEGIES AND ACTION PLANS OR EQUIVALENT INSTRUMENTS (NBSAPS) In the ACP group of states (including South Sudan, an observer at ACP), 73 countries have submitted an NBSAP following the adoption of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, including the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and 9 countries had submitted an NBSAP prior to the adoption of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. [Status at January 2021]
Restoring opportunities for ecoregions
Nature Needs Half is one of the approaches proposed to identifying actions supporting the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, focusing on protecting, conserving, restoring and retaining natural areas of land and sea. Nature Needs Half call for protection of half of any region.
Applying the NNH concept to ecoregions, Dinerstein et al. (2017) defined 4 ecoregions classes. Ecoregions in the class Nature Could Recover would require restoration to reach Half Protected because the amount of available habitat outside protected areas plus the existing protected areas is below 50% but more than 20%.
MIKE programme V: N of CARCASSES
Total number of elephant carcasses reported in MIKE programme over the monitoring period.
The global map shows total number of carcasses by MIKE site.
The regional and national tabs report aggregated statistics and the local tab shows the number of carcasses by protected areas involved in MIKE programme.
MIKE programme II: Protected areas in MIKE programme
Protected Areas in MIKE programme
All MIKE sites but one overlap with protected areas included in the World Database of Protected Areas (UNEP-WCMC), either entirely or partly.
Check the Regional and National tabs for more details.
The CITES Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Programme and the follow up project Minimizing the Illegal Killing of Elephants and other Endangered Species (MIKES) have maintained a site-based system designed to monitor trends in the illegal killing of elephants, build management capacity and provide information to help range States make appropriate management and enforcement decisions.
MIKE programme IV: Illegal Killing (PIKE) by protected area
Percentage of Illegal Killing of Elephants (PIKE) by protected areas in MIKE programme.
In the regional and national tabs, maps show the normalised average PIKE over the activity period for each protected area in MIKE programme and included in the selected region/s or country/ies.
In the local tab, the time series of annual PIKE is presented for each protected area in MIKE programme.
Geospatial data - MIKE programme I: Designated MIKE sites
MIKE sites distribution and longevity
The CITES Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Programme has designed a site-based system to monitor trends in the illegal killing of elephants, build management capacity and provide information to help range States make appropriate management and enforcement decisions. The European Union has been the most important donor for the MIKE programme and has funded implementation in Africa since its inception in 2001, and in Asia since 2017. Funding has also been provided by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Governments of Japan, the United Kingdom and China. Since 2014 the program has been followed up by Minimising the Illegal Killing of Elephants and other Endangered Species (MIKES) project.
In 2018, 68 sites in 31 African countries were reported by the CITES MIKE programme with different timing of enrollment in the programme.
In the map, MIKE sites are classified by the number of delivered annual reports. Out of all sites, 59 produced killings report at least once. Four of them were nominated in 2018- Kafue, Lower Zambesi, North Luangwa, Sioma Ngwezi, 42 sites reported for 10 years and 7 sites over 17 years.
Indicator of NBSAPs commitment at mainstreaming biodiversity into sectoral policies
The commitment of countries in mainstreaming biodiversity into sectoral policies throughout their post-2010 NBSAPs has been reviewed for 144 countries that have submitted new NBSAPs (by October 2017), including 55 ACP member states (Whitehorn et al. 2019). Five criteria were assessed in order to obtain a qualitative national-level indicator for comparing levels of commitment among countries: 1. Which actors have been involved in the development of the NBSAP? (public, private, civil society, other) 2. Are there references to the (potential) contribution of biodiversity or ecosystem services to the national economy? (yes-specific, yes-vague) 3. Is it discussed if biodiversity loss threatens the outcomes of particular sectors? (agriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism, water supply, other extractive activities, other) 4. Is it discussed how sustainable management plans (and hence biodiversity conservation) can contribute to the improvement of the outcomes of particular sectors? (agriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism, water supply, other extractive activities, other) 5. Is it discussed if biodiversity conservation threatens the outcomes of particular sectors? (agriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism, water supply, other extractive activities, other) [Mainstreaming biodiversity: A review of national strategies. Whitehorn P, Navarro L, Schröter M, Fernandez M, Rotllan-Puig X, Marques A. Biological Conservation 2019 vol: 235 pp: 157-163]
Geospatial Data - MIKE programme III: Illegal Killing (PIKE) in MIKE sites
Map of the normalised average Percentage of Illegal Killing of Elephants (PIKE) by MIKE sites over the reporting period.
The indicator is calculated as the average percentage of illegal killing in observed carcasses over the reporting period, normalized by yearly mean carcasses number (= total carcasses/years of reporting) to account for the different magnitude of carcass numbers found across sites.
The role of MIKE monitoring program in preventing illegal killing could be influenced by several factors. Reported data suggests an overall lack of correlation between the longevity of the monitoring program and the illegal killing rate in the sites.
Data source: CITES
SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas
A Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) is defined as a component of a large ecological region that straddles the boundaries of two or more countries encompassing one or more protected areas as well as multiple resource use areas. TFCAs are founded with the aim of collaboratively managing shared natural and cultural resources across international boundaries for improved biodiversity conservation and socio-economic development. The Southern Africa Development Community Secretariat facilitates the efforts of the Member States in the establishment and development of TFCAs. The SADC TFCA Programme (2013) envisions the region to become "a model of community centred, regionally integrated and sustainably managed network of world class transfrontier conservation areas".
Total carbon
Indicator unit: Amount of carbon stored in the soil (0 to 30 cm depth), expressed in Mg (megagrams or tonnes) per km2 .
Area of interest The SOCI has been calculated at the country level and for all protected areas and is provided and for each country, each terrestrial ecoregion and each terrestrial and coastal protected area of size ≥ 1 km2.
Policy question: There are two main policy questions to which the SOCI indicator is relevant:
- How do protected areas contribute, through the conservation of soil resources, to the fertility, health and productivity of the ecosystems and to the livelihoods of the local communities that depend on these resources? Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the main component of soil organic matter, which is critical for the stabilization of soil structure, retention and release of plant nutrients, and water infiltration and storage in soil. SOC is therefore essential to ensuring soil health, fertility and food production. The loss of SOC indicates a certain degree of soil degradation, and can happen through unsustainable management practices such as excessive irrigation or leaving the soil bare, without significant vegetation cover.
- How do protected areas contribute to soil carbon storage and hence to offset the impacts of fossil fuel emissions and to climate change mitigation? Soils represent the largest terrestrial organic carbon reservoir. Carbon stored in soils worldwide exceeds the amount of carbon stored in phytomass and in the atmosphere, and is the second largest global carbon store (sink) after the oceans. Changes in land use and land cover can cause SOC decreases and carbon emissions, which are one of the largest sources of human-caused carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Protected areas may contribute to soil carbon retention and hence to the reduction of net emissions of greenhouse gasses responsible for climate change.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Above ground carbon
Indicator unit: The above-ground carbon (AGC) is expressed in Mg (megagrams or tonnes) of carbon per km2 . It corresponds to the carbon fraction of the oven-dry weight of the woody parts (stem, bark, branches and twigs) of all living trees, excluding stump and roots, as estimated by the GlobBiomass project (globbiomass.org) with 2017 as the reference year.
Area of interest: The AGCI has been calculated at the country level and for all protected areas and is provided for each country, each terrestrial ecoregion, and each terrestrial and coastal protected area of size ≥ 1 km2.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Soil organic carbon
Indicator unit: Amount of carbon stored in the soil (0 to 30 cm depth), expressed in Mg (megagrams or tonnes) per km2.
Area of interest: The SOCI has been calculated at the country level, terrestrial ecoregion level and for all protected areas and is provided for each country and each terrestrial and coastal protected area of size ≥ 1 km2.
Policy question: There are two main policy questions to which the SOCI indicator is relevant: How do protected areas contribute, through the conservation of soil resources, to the fertility, health and productivity of the ecosystems and to the livelihoods of the local communities that depend on these resources? Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the main component of soil organic matter, which is critical for the stabilization of soil structure, retention and release of plant nutrients, and water infiltration and storage in soil. SOC is therefore essential to ensuring soil health, fertility and food production. The loss of SOC indicates a certain degree of soil degradation, and can happen through unsustainable management practices such as excessive irrigation or leaving the soil bare, without significant vegetation cover. How do protected areas contribute to soil carbon storage and hence to offset the impacts of fossil fuel emissions and to climate change mitigation? Soils represent the largest terrestrial organic carbon reservoir. Carbon stored in soils worldwide exceeds the amount of carbon stored in phytomass and in the atmosphere, and is the second largest global carbon store (sink) after the oceans. Changes in land use and land cover can cause SOC decreases and carbon emissions, which are one of the largest sources of human-caused carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Protected areas may contribute to soil carbon retention and hence to the reduction of net emissions of greenhouse gasses responsible for climate change.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Below ground carbon
Indicator unit: The belowground biomass carbon (BBC) is expressed in Mg (megagrams or tonnes) of carbon per km2 . It represents an estimation of the carbon stored in the roots of all living trees. This carbon pool is calculated as a fraction of the aboveground biomass carbon stock using root-to-shoot ratios (R). It is derived from two main data sources: the global aboveground biomass map produced by the GlobBiomass project (globbiomass.org) and the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (IPCC, 2019).
Area of interest: The BBCI has been calculated at the country level, terrestrial ecoregion level and for all protected areas and is provided for each country and each terrestrial and coastal protected area of size ≥ 1 km2.
Policy question: There are two main policy questions to which BBCI is relevant:
- How do protected areas contribute, through the conservation of vegetation resources, to the health and productivity of the ecosystems and to the sustainability of the local communities that depend on these ecosystem services derived from them? Tree-root systems provide various ecosystem services that improve soil conditions and prevent soil degradation.
- How do protected areas contribute to carbon storage and hence to offset the impacts of fossil fuel emissions and to climate change mitigation? Forests represent one of the largest terrestrial organic carbon reservoirs, and significantly contribute to the regulation of the global carbon cycle. Root biomass represents a stable and relatively inaccessible carbon stock, mainly affected by the removal of the canopy. Protected areas may contribute to biomass and carbon retention and hence to the reduction of net emissions of greenhouse gasses responsible for climate change.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Irrecoverable Carbon
A new paper published in Nature Sustainability mapped the irrecoveral carbon in earth's ecosystems. It shows how manageable, vulnerable and irrecoverable carbon are distributed among ecosystems. Petland, mangrove forests, old-growth forests are the most important-reserve of irrecoverable carbon. ““Irrecoverable carbon” refers to the vast stores of carbon in nature that are vulnerable to release from human activity and, if lost, could not be restored by 2050 — when the world must reach net-zero emissions to avoid the worst impacts of climate change..”. Here we are showing the percentage of irrecoverable carbon density by ACP country in million tonnes and the mean of irrecoverable carbon density for the year 2018 in Mg ha-1 protected by protected and conserved areas.
To explore deeper the original dataset and research, visit Conservation International Resilience Atlas. Source: Noon, M.L., Goldstein, A., Ledezma, J.C. et al. Mapping the irrecoverable carbon in Earth’s ecosystems. Nat Sustain 5, 37–46 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00803-6
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.t
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Data Uploaded by Simona Lippi using the BIOPAMA Services (2022)
Ecosystem services economic value in Timor Leste
This indicator shows economic value of ecosystem services in Timor Leste biomes, estimated through regionalised summary values from the Ecosystem Services Value Database.
Ecosystem services value in Timor Leste - by key informants
How much value do ecosystems hold in Timor-Leste? Evaluation by local key informants
Stakeholders-informed evaluation of ecosystem services in biomes of Timor-Leste. This evaluation is based on key informants opinion on ecosystem services importance and the role of each biome in providing them. Biomes follow the defintion adopted for the Ecosystem Services Value Database https://www.esvd.info/ and are derived from the Copernicus Hot Spot Land Cover map for 2016.
Carbon Storage in Mangrove Forests
Mangroves provide both climate change mitigation and adaptation services. They provide benefits for coastal communities and they are among the most effective carbon-capture ecosystems. If they are degraded or cleared, the carbon stored will be released into the atmosphere as CO2 and it will exacerbate climate changes. Target 8 of the First Draft of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework said: “Minimize the impact of climate change on biodiversity, contribute to mitigation and adaptation through ecosystem-based approaches, contributing at least 10 GtCO2e per year to global mitigation efforts, and ensure that all mitigation and adaptation efforts avoid negative impacts on biodiversity.” Mangrove habitats contribute to climate mitigation targets. This layer wants to show the percentage of total carbon stored in mangroves per ACP country in comparison with the global mangrove total organic carbon stored.
Source: Global Mangrove Watch
Bunting, Pete, Rosenqvist, Ake, Lucas , Richard, Rebelo, Lisa-Maria, Hilarides, Lammert, Thomas, Nathan, Hardy, Andy, Itoh, Takuya, Shimada, Masanobu, & Finlayson, Max. (2019). Global Mangrove Watch (1996 - 2016) Version 2.0 (2.0)
Giri, C., Ochieng, E., Tieszen, L. L., Zhu, Z., Singh, A., Loveland, T., … Duke, N. (2011). Status and distribution of mangrove forests of the world using earth observation satellite data. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 20(1), 154–159
Sanderman J, Hengl T, Fiske G et al. (2018) A global map of mangrove forest soil carbon at 30 m spatial resolution. Environmental Research Letters 13: 055002
Simard, M., T. Fatoyinbo, C. Smetanka, V.H. Rivera-monroy, E. Castaneda-mova, N. Thomas, and T. Van der stocken. (2019) Global Mangrove Distribution, Aboveground Biomass, and Canopy Height. ORNL DAAC, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
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Data Uploaded by Simona Lippi using the BIOPAMA Services (2022)
Representativeness of terrestrial ecosystems in protected areas
Number of terrestrial ecosystems protected compared to those existing in each country.
Terrestrial Ecosystems in Country and WDPA protected sites. Analysis performed by L. Battistella in February 2021. Original dataset provided by "USGS-TNC" (World Terrestrial Ecosystems, Sayre et al. 2020).
Above-ground biomass stock in forest (tonnes per hectare)
Changes in the above-ground biomass stock in forest indicate the balance between gains in biomass stock due to forest growth and losses due to wood removals, natural losses, fire, wind, pests and diseases. At country level and over a longer period, sustainable forest management would imply a stable or increasing biomass stock per hectare, while a long-term reduction of biomass stock per hectare would imply either unsustainable management of the forests and degradation or unexpected major losses due to fire, wind, pests or diseases.
eConservation
Institutional support to nature-based tourism
Indicator of Tourism industry supportive institutions and policies (WTTC, mean of the years 2017-19).
Vulnerability to global tourism and travel crisis
Visitors to protected areas index
Which protected areas are visited most frequently?
Average annual number of visitors to a protected area. Data are currently available for a limited set of sitesand from different sources, published in the study: Balmford A, Green JMH, Anderson M, Beresford J, Huang C, Naidoo R, et al. (2015) Walk on the Wild Side: Estimating the Global Magnitude of Visits to Protected Areas. PLoS Biol 13(2): e1002074. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1002074.
This indicator can be used as a proxy of economic sensitivity to tourism and travel crises and it is one of the dimensions of the vulnerability to global travel and tourism crises indicator for protected sites.
Nature-based tourism economy indicator by country
Nature-based tourism economy indicator
This indicator measures sensitivity to pandemic and economic crises affecting international travels and tourism. Nature-based tourism industry is of one of the most important revenue sources for protected areas. the indicator is derived from standardisatoin in a range 0-1 of the Leisure Tourism Spending share of the country GDP (World Tourism and Travel Council), weighted by country naturalness index (Global Competitveness index of the World Economic Forum).
International Park fees
This indicator is based on primary data on average National Park (IUCN category II) fees for international visitors expressed in US dollars calculated at market exchange rates, collected at country level. Reference: Van Zyl et al. 2019 National park entrance fees: a global benchmarking focused on affordability PARKS VOL 25.1 MAY 2019. 10.2305
Tourism revenue in Protected Areas budget, share
Share of tourism revenue in protecd areas budget. Steven R, Castley JG, Buckley R (2013) Tourism Revenue as a Conservation Tool for Threatened Birds in Protected Areas. PLoS ONE 8(5): e62598. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0062598
Tree Cover Change
According to FAO, since 1990, 420 million hectares of forest have been lost due to human pressure, but the rate of forest loss has declined substantially. Human activities such as agriculture, livestock industries and logging are the main drivers of deforestation, forest degradation and fragmentation. Moreover, indirect human pressure such as climate change impacts, fires and invasive species amplify the loss and degradation of these ecosystems. Monitoring forests and their biodiversity is essential to support Sustainable Forest Management. Protecting forests is a pillar of international and national conservation strategies.
Understanding the state of the forests and tracking the progress towards national and international targets, is a fundamental for conservation forest outcomes. Many targets included into international and national strategies are related with forest to ensure the conservation, sustainable use and restoration of forests
The forest change statistics showed here for ACP countries are based on global products derived from earth observation. The forest cover for the reference year 2000 and change statistics (gain 2000- 2012, and loss 2000-2021) were produced at a spatial resolution of 30 m by the analyses of remote sensing images acquired by Landsat satellites, as described in Hansen et al. (2013).
Analysis performed by Simona Lippi using the BIOPAMA Services (2022)
Source data: Hansen, M. C., P. V. Potapov, R. Moore, M. Hancher, S. A. Turubanova, A. Tyukavina, D. Thau, S. V. Stehman, S. J. Goetz, T. R. Loveland, A. Kommareddy, A. Egorov, L. Chini, C. O. Justice, and J. R. G. Townshend. 2013. "High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change." Science 342 (15 November): 850-53. 10.1126/science.1244693 Data available on-line at: https://glad.earthengine.app/view/global-forest-change.
Habitat diversity in protected areas
How important is a given area in terms of habitat diversity and associated species diversity? By identifying distinct habitats in a given area, one can highlight areas supporting a large variety of structural and functional ecosystem properties and, indirectly, a potentially higher species diversity.
Indicator unit: The THDI is derived from the square of the number of Terrestrial Habitat Functional Types (THFTs) encountered in a given area divided by the square root of the surface (in km2 ) of the protected area. The higher the THDI, the larger the diversity of habitats.
Area of interest: The THDI can be generated for any terrestrial area (e.g. country, ecoregion or protected area). The THDI has been calculated for each terrestrial protected area of size ≥ 5 km2 and for the terrestrial parts of each coastal protected areas of size ≥ 5 km2 .
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Inland surface water dynamics
How well are we protecting freshwater ecosystems and how strong are anthropogenic changes affecting surface water in a given area? Human pressures are constantly increasing and it is important to monitor the consequences of the associated changes on the environment, in particular inside and around protected areas, to ensure that natural ecosystems and their associated species and ecosystem functions (e.g. goods and services) are preserved. By comparing surface water maps overtime at the country and protected area level, changes in water regimes can be identified.
Indicator unit: Areas of inland permanent and seasonal surface water and their changes over time (1984 - 2018) are expressed in km2 and percentages. The following statistics are computed for each protected area, each country and each terrestrial ecoregion and are provided, together with associated maps, for each terrestrial and coastal protected area of size ≥ 1 km2 and each country :
- Net change (km2 ) of permanent surface water (1984 - 2020)
- Net change (km2 ) of seasonal inland water (1984 - 2020)
- Net change (km2 ) of protected permanent surface water (1984 - 2020)
- Net change (km2 ) of protected seasonal inland water (1984 - 2020)
We further provide maps of water occurrence, water occurrence change intensity and water transitions. Area of interest Surfaces of inland surface water and change statistics have been computed at the country level, terrestrial ecoregion level and for all protected areas.
Area of interest: Surfaces of inland surface water and change statistics have been computed at the country level and for all protected areas.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Land Fragmentation
Indicator units: Natural (and semi-natural) land fragmentation refers to the reduction of area, the emergence of discontinuities and the isolation of natural land patches within a region of interest. Natural land spatial pattern is a relevant measure to capture changes in size, shape and structural connectivity, in particular the breaking down of large patches of natural land into smaller patches, the presence of linear features and isolated small fragments. The Natural Land Pattern Index (NLPI) assesses the spatial pattern of the natural and semi-natural lands for a given year (here, at year 2015) by reporting the area (in km2) covered by six spatial pattern classes (core, edge, linear feature, islet, core-perforation, other non-natural land) within a region of interest. The Natural Land Pattern Dynamics (NLPD) index reports the trends in the area occupied by these pattern classes in the last 20 years (1995-2015) within a region of interest. The landscape mosaic is simplified into natural/semi-natural lands, water bodies and non-natural lands. Non-natural lands such as cropland, transport infrastructure and settlements, are considered fragmenting elements.The six pattern classes are determined based on the spatial arrangement, shape and size of the land cover patches; See below (Use and Interpretation section) for a detailed description of these six classes. Fragmentation can be further resumed in one single indicator value, such as the edge to core ratio. The Natural Land Fragmentation Index (NLFI) and the Natural Land Fragmentation Dynamics (NLFD) will be included in the next update of the DOPA.
Area of interest: NLPI and NLPD are calculated in DOPA for each terrestrial and coastal protected area, as well as for countries and terrestrial ecoregions, and are provided in DOPA Explorer for all terrestrial and coastal protected areas of size ≥ 1 km2 , for countries and for terrestrial ecoregions. The spatial distribution of the six pattern classes is mapped and shown in DOPA for all natural/semi-natural land, either inside or outside protected areas.
Policy question: How can we assess the spatial integrity of natural/semi-natural ecosystems?
Where and how much are global and local pressures fragmenting natural/semi-natural lands? Pressures on the natural land, particularly
human driven pressures, are constantly increasing and it is important to monitor how they translate in changes in the spatial pattern and
fragmentation levels of natural/semi-natural ecosystems, in particular inside and around protected areas, to ensure that these ecosystems, and their associated species, their functions and services, are preserved.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Land Degradation
Humans need increasing amounts of plant biomass for producing food, fodder, fiber and energy. Being able to meet these demands in the long term requires a sustainable use of land and vegetation resources. A persistent reduction in biomass production or land productivity will directly and indirectly impact almost all terrestrial ecosystem services and benefits that form the basis for sustainable livelihoods of all human communities. Tracking changes in land productivity is, therefore, an essential part of monitoring ecosystem changes and land transformations that are typically associated with land degradation.
The state of the Earth’s vegetation cover and its development over time is one reliable and accepted measure associated with land productivity.
Indicator unit: Area in km2 with decreasing, stable or increasing trend in land productivity from 1999 to 2013. Land productivity is calculated from satellite observations of photosynthetically active vegetation as the above-ground biomass production accumulated during the annual growing season.
Area of interest: The LPD has been calculated in DOPA for each terrestrial and coastal protected area, for their 10km unprotected buffer, as well as for countries and terrestrial ecoregions, and is provided in DOPA Explorer for all terrestrial and coastal protected areas of size ≥ 1 km2 , for countries and for terrestrial ecoregions.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Mountain ecosystems in protected areas
Share of mountain ecosystems in protected areas. Ecosystems extracted from USGS-TNC World Terrestrial Ecosystems under "mountain" landform category.
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Data Uploaded by Claudia Capitani using the BIOPAMA Services (2022)
Forest Landscape Integrity Index
The Forest Landscape Integrity Index (FLII) is a composite index created to show the degree of forest integrity for 2019.
The authors identified three Forest Integrity categories: “high ”“medium”, and “low”.
Here it is presented the % of forested area with High Integrity over the total forested area by country. For Hight Forest Integrity, the authors mean “Interiors and natural edges of more or less unmodified naturally regenerated (i.e., non-planted) forest ecosystems, comprised entirely or almost entirely of native species, occurring over large areas either as continuous blocks or natural mosaics with non-forest vegetation; typically little human use other than low-intensity recreation or spiritual uses and/or low-intensity extraction of plant and animal products and/or very sparse presence of infrastructure; key ecosystem functions such as carbon storage, biodiversity, and watershed protection and resilience expected to be very close to natural levels (excluding any effects from climate change) although some declines possible in the most sensitive elements (e.g., some high value hunted species).”
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Data Uploaded by Simona Lippi using the BIOPAMA Services (2021)
Warm-Water Corals Extent
The dataset shows the country's extent of Warm-Water Corals for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. The original dataset and statistics are provided by UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC).
Source:UNEP-WCMC (2021). Ocean+ Habitats [On-line], [July 2021]. Available at: habitats.oceanplus.org
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Data Uploaded by Simona Lippi using the BIOPAMA Services (2022)
Adaptation capacity index (lack of)
Adaptation capacity
This is a composite indicators of the capacity of responding and adapting to the crisis derived from indicators of poverty, food security, governance, communication and physical connectivity. It is obtained from a linear combination of single standardised dimensions, then standardised in a 0-1 range where 1 means lack of adaptation capacity.
It can be used for vulnerabliity and risk analysis. It is one of the dimension of the vulnerability to global tourism and travel crisis.
Cold-Water Corals Extent
The dataset shows the country's extent of Cold-water Corals for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. The original dataset and statistics are provided by UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC).
Source:UNEP-WCMC (2021). Ocean+ Habitats [On-line], [July 2021]. Available at: habitats.oceanplus.org
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Data Uploaded by Simona Lippi using the BIOPAMA Services (2022)
Cold-Water Corals Protection
The dataset shows the country's protection percentage of Cold-water Corals for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. The original dataset and statistics are provided by UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC).
Source:UNEP-WCMC (2021). Ocean+ Habitats [On-line], [July 2021]. Available at: habitats.oceanplus.org
Related Policies
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Data Uploaded by Simona Lippi using the BIOPAMA Services (2021)
Proportion of total land area that is under cultivation
Cropland is land used for the cultivation of crops. Land change from natural/semi natural ecosystems to agriculture is a major driver of biodiversity loss and land degradation. Efficient land use and land management plans and strategies are needed to maximize crop productivity while minimizing the potential environmental impact due to excessive loss of habitats and overuse of natural resources such as soils and water
Source dataset: Zanaga, D., Van De Kerchove, R., De Keersmaecker, W., Souverijns, N., Brockmann, C., Quast, R., Wevers, J., Grosu, A., Paccini, A., Vergnaud, S., Cartus, O., Santoro, M., Fritz, S., Georgieva, I., Lesiv, M., Carter, S., Herold, M., Li, Linlin, Tsendbazar, N.E., Ramoino, F., Arino, O., 2021. ESA WorldCover 10 m 2020 v100.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5571936
African development corridors and their impact on PAs
The African Development Corridors is the first comprehensive database of 79 ongoing and planned investment corridors across Africa, synthesizing data from multiple sources covering 184 projects on railways, wet and dry ports, pipelines, airports, techno-cities, and industrial parks.It was published by Thorn, J.P.R., Bignoli, D.J., Mwangi, B. et al. The African Development Corridors Database: a new tool to assess the impacts of infrastructure investments. Sci Data 9, 679 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01771-y have been buffered according to the level of intervention (Major road: 15 km, Passenger and freight railway: 10 km, Railway: 5 km, Pipeline: 2,5km). Data obtained was intersected with the country boundaries and with protected areas (WDPA, February 2023 version) obtaining the percentage of PA coverage of corridors in each country.
Country extinction-risk footprints
A new study quantified how the consumption habits of people in each country, through trade and supply networks, imperil threatened and near-threatened terrestrial species of amphibians, mammals and birds. For the study, recently published in Scientific Reports, researchers used a metric called the extinction-risk footprint. The team found that 76 countries are net “importers” of this footprint, meaning they drive demand for products that contribute to the decline of endangered species abroad. Other countries, e.g. Madagascar, Tanzania, are designated as net “exporters,” meaning their extinction-risk footprint is driven more by consumption habits in other countries. In several countries domestic consumption is the most significant driver of extinction risk within those nations. Learn more: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-09827-0
This sub-dataset provides detail on each country's extinction-risk footprint. A global level, the map shows the impact of global consumption on the species found within that country’s borders in percentage. A national level, the map shows the imported and exported consumption for each country. The imported extinction-risk footprint is a result of consumption within the country driving extinction risk in other countries, and its exported extinction risk footprint is a result of consumption outside of the country driving the extinction risk within the country.
Uploaded by Simona Lippi (Using BIOPAMA GEONODE)
What is the conservation status of the fish stocks?
A fundamental requirement for productive fisheries is maintenance of the biodiversity that offers natural systems resilience against changing conditions.(FAO, State of World Fishery and Aquaculture 2020). Threatened marine fish species can be legally caught in industrial fisheries and moreover according to FAO, annual estimate of fisheries interactions with at least 20 million individuals of endangered, threatened and/or protected species. Here we show the catch records (tonnes) of globally threatened species in the EEZ by country in the last 10 years.
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Data Uploaded by Simona Lippi using BIOPAMA Services (2022)
Human pressure potential index in PAs
Indicator of potential human pressure in and around protected areas derived from indices of forest loss, population and agriculture pressures (DOPA 4.0).
This indicator is a proxi for potential human activities pressure inside and in a 10km-buffer around protected areas. Therefore it may indicate potential vulnerability in conditions whereby protected area financial resources, local economy and supply chains are disrupted by national and/or international crises, and so coping and adaptation strategies may consist in an increased pressure from human activities on natural resources.
It is a component of the vulnerablity indicator to gloabl tourism and travel crisis.
Oil Palm Extent
Industrial and smallholder oil palm plantation data.
Oil seed crops, especially oil palm, are among the most rapidly expanding agricultural land uses, and their expansion is known to cause significant environmental damage. Accordingly, these crops often feature in public and policy debates, which are hampered or biased by a lack of accurate information on environmental impacts. This dataset presents a global crop map. It covers areas where oil palm plantations were detected at global scale, and includes industrial and smallholder mature oil palm plantations.
Adrià, Descals, Serge, Wich, Erik, Meijaard, David, Gaveau, Stephen, Peedell, & Zoltan, Szantoi. (2020). High resolution global industrial and smallholder oil palm map for 2019 (Version v0) [Data set]. Zenodo. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3884602
Analysis performed by L. Battistella in July 2020.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using BIOPAMA Services (2022)
Palm oil plantations-Small holdings
Oil seed crops, especially oil palm, are among the most rapidly expanding agricultural land uses, and their expansion is known to cause significant environmental damage. Accordingly, these crops often feature in public and policy debates, which are hampered or biased by a lack of accurate information on environmental impacts. This dataset presents a global crop map. It covers areas where oil palm plantations were detected at global scale, and includes industrial and smallholder mature oil palm plantations.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using BIOPAMA Services (2021)
Agricultural Pressure Indicator (API)
How much potential impact may agriculture land use in a protected area have on the habitats, species and ecological processes therein? By identifying protected areas with low pressure from agriculture, it is possible to highlight locations that are likely to better conserve the ecosystems, species and ecological processes that are associated to more pristine conditions and that are more sensitive to the direct and indirect impacts from this form of human land use. On the other hand, by identifying protected areas with a relatively high percentage of cropland, it is possible to suggest in which locations it is a priority to implement measures that enhance the compatibility of crop production with biodiversity conservation. These measures may include promoting less intensive agricultural practices or retaining natural vegetation remnants within and between crops, which may contribute to provide habitat resources and to facilitate the movement of species across otherwise impermeable landscapes.
Indicator unit: The API assesses the percentage of the surface of a protected area that is covered by cropland.
Area of interest: API has been calculated for all protected areas, countries for each terrestrial protected area of size ≥ 1 km2 and for the terrestrial parts of each coastal protected area of size ≥ 1 km2 as well as their 10 km unprotected buffer zone (for buffers, values are computed and reported only for protected areas of size ≥ 5 km2 ). We further show trends regarding the percentage of agricultural land at the country level.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Change in Population Pressure Indicator (CPPI)
How much potential impact may humans living in a protected area have on that protected area and on the habitats, species and ecological processes therein? How much of this potential impact is due to recent (15-year) increases in human population density? By identifying protected areas with low population density, it is possible to highlight locations that are likely to better conserve the species and ecological processes that are associated to more pristine conditions and that are more sensitive to the direct and indirect impacts from human activities. On the other hand, by identifying protected areas with a relatively high or increasing population density, it is possible to suggest in which locations it is likely most necessary to ensure an effective management of the human-nature relationships and the sustainability of human activities. In these locations, a priority would be to orient human activities and livelihoods in ways that are compatible with the conservation targets, such as ecotourism and other regulated recreation activities, or supporting traditional modes of rural development that have been compatible with the persistence of the biodiversity values of the protected area.
Indicator unit: The PPI assesses human population density for a given area in year 2015, expressed as the average number of people per km2 . The CPPI assesses the percent change in human population density for the same area from 2000 to 2015.
Area of interest: PPI and CPPI have been calculated for each terrestrial protected area and for the terrestrial parts of each coastal protected areas. To assess pressures around protected areas, we further computed the indicators for the 10 km unprotected buffer zone around the protected areas of size ≥ 5 km2 . PPI and CPPI are reported in DOPA Explorer for each terrestrial and coastal protected area of size ≥ 1 km2 and their unprotected buffers (values for buffers are reported only for protected areas of size ≥ 5 km2 ). We further show trends regarding the changes in rural and urban population at the country level.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Population Pressure Indicator (PPI)
How much potential impact may humans living in a protected area have on that protected area and on the habitats, species and ecological processes therein? How much of this potential impact is due to recent (15-year) increases in human population density? By identifying protected areas with low population density, it is possible to highlight locations that are likely to better conserve the species and ecological processes that are associated to more pristine conditions and that are more sensitive to the direct and indirect impacts from human activities. On the other hand, by identifying protected areas with a relatively high or increasing population density, it is possible to suggest in which locations it is likely most necessary to ensure an effective management of the human-nature relationships and the sustainability of human activities. In these locations, a priority would be to orient human activities and livelihoods in ways that are compatible with the conservation targets, such as ecotourism and other regulated recreation activities, or supporting traditional modes of rural development that have been compatible with the persistence of the biodiversity values of the protected area.
Indicator unit: The PPI assesses human population density for a given area in year 2015, expressed as the average number of people per km2 . The CPPI assesses the percent change in human population density for the same area from 2000 to 2015.
Area of interest: PPI and CPPI have been calculated for each terrestrial protected area and for the terrestrial parts of each coastal protected areas. To assess pressures around protected areas, we further computed the indicators for the 10 km unprotected buffer zone around the protected areas of size ≥ 5 km2 . PPI and CPPI are reported in DOPA Explorer for each terrestrial and coastal protected area of size ≥ 1 km2 and their unprotected buffers (values for buffers are reported only for protected areas of size ≥ 5 km2 ). We further show trends regarding the changes in rural and urban population at the country level.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
ESA Land Cover change 1995-2020
Fires
Map Layers
Floods
Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies
Sea Surface Temperature Trend
Coral Bleaching HotSpot
Species Richness Maps
Map Layers
Endemic Species Richness Maps
Map Layers
Threatended Endemic Species Richness Maps
Map Layers
Number of species in Protected Areas
Indicator unit Returns, for each protected area in a country, the number of species (total, near threatened, threatened, endemic, threatened endemic) with range falling within the protected area.
Area of interest Species lists are generated for each terrestrial and coastal protected area and are provided for all protected areas of size ≥ 1 km2.
Policy question Where are the areas in the world hosting most species? How many species in a country have their ranges covered at least partially by protected areas? How many threatened species are endemic and how many of these have their ranges protected? Where are the main gaps in terms of species observations?
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Number of endemic mammals
Indicator unit: Counting of the number of endemic mammals at site and country levels.
Area of interest: Species lists are generated for each terrestrial and coastal protected area, and are provided in BIOPAMA for all protected areas of size ≥ 1 km2, and for the protected portion of countries. General statistics are reported at country level, species richness is mapped at global level.
Policy question: Where are the areas in the world hosting most species? How many species in a country have their ranges covered at least partially by protected areas? How many threatened species are endemic and how many of these have their ranges protected? Where are the main gaps in terms of species observations? These are key questions for assessing whether conservation measures have been taken to prevent extinctions on to measuring progress on Aichi Targets 11 and 12 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Number of endemic birds
Indicator unit: Counting of the number of endemic amphibians at site and country levels.
Area of interest: Species lists are generated for each terrestrial and coastal protected area, and are provided in BIOPAMA for all protected areas of size ≥ 1 km2, and for protected portion of countries. General statistics are reported at country level, species richness is mapped at global level.
Policy question: Where are the areas in the world hosting most species? How many species in a country have their ranges covered at least partially by protected areas? How many threatened species are endemic and how many of these have their ranges protected? Where are the main gaps in terms of species observations? These are key questions for assessing whether conservation measures have been taken to prevent extinctions on to measuring progress on Aichi Targets 11 and 12 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Number of endemic amphibians
Indicator unit: Counting of the number of endemic amphibians at site and country levels.
Area of interest: Species lists are generated for each terrestrial and coastal protected area, and are provided in BIOPAMA for all protected areas of size ≥ 1 km2, and for protected portion of countries. General statistics are reported at country level, species richness is mapped at global level.
Policy question: Where are the areas in the world hosting most species? How many species in a country have their ranges covered at least partially by protected areas? How many threatened species are endemic and how many of these have their ranges protected? Where are the main gaps in terms of species observations? These are key questions for assessing whether conservation measures have been taken to prevent extinctions on to measuring progress on Aichi Targets 11 and 12 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Number of mammals in country reported threatened by IUCN
Species assessed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and documented in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species TM (RLTS) have been used to calculate country summary statistics on the number of endemic and threatened species (IUCN, 2020).
Species included in the Red List are classified into the following categories based on Red List criteria such as rate of decline, population size, area of geographic distribution, and degree of population and distribution fragmentation:
Threatened species fall into one of the following three categories:
1) Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
2) Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild. 3) Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of endangerment in the wild.
Country lists of (protected) Threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable) and Near Threatened species are derived by the previously described overlay within protected areas and species ranges,aggregating the results by the ISO3 code reported for the Protected Area by WCMC.
See http://www.iucnredlist.org/ for more details.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Number of birds in country reported threatened by IUCN.
Species assessed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and documented in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species TM (RLTS) have been used to calculate country summary statistics on the number of endemic and threatened species (IUCN, 2020).
Species included in the Red List are classified into the following categories based on Red List criteria such as rate of decline, population size, area of geographic distribution, and degree of population and distribution fragmentation:
Threatened species fall into one of the following three categories:
1) Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
2) Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild. 3) Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of endangerment in the wild.
Country lists of (protected) Threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable) and Near Threatened species are derived by the previously described overlay within protected areas and species ranges,aggregating the results by the ISO3 code reported for the Protected Area by WCMC.
See http://www.iucnredlist.org/ for more details.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Number of amphibians in country reported threatened by IUCN.
Species assessed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and documented in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species TM (RLTS) have been used to calculate country summary statistics on the number of endemic and threatened species (IUCN, 2020).
Species included in the Red List are classified into the following categories based on Red List criteria such as rate of decline, population size, area of geographic distribution, and degree of population and distribution fragmentation:
Threatened species fall into one of the following three categories:
1) Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
2) Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild.
3) Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of endangerment in the wild.
Country lists of (protected) Threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable) and Near Threatened species are derived by the previously described overlay within protected areas and species ranges,aggregating the results by the ISO3 code reported for the Protected Area by WCMC.
See http://www.iucnredlist.org/ for more details.
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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)
Species Protection Index
Species Protection Index (SPI) evaluates the species-level ecological representativeness of each country’s protected area network. It is a measure of the extent to which a country’s protected areas are ecologically representative on the species level, calculated as the average proportion of the suitable habitat of a country’s species included in the country’s terrestrial protected areas. The index is built on remote-sensing informed species distribution and the protected areas and it is designated to report progress towards AICHI Target 11. To learn more about the methods for calculating this index:
https://ipbes.net/sites/default/files/Metadata_GEO_BON_Map_of_Life_Spec…
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Data Uploaded by Simona Lippi using BIOPAMA Services (2022)
Wildlife-watching species richness (grid)
Where can the most iconic safari-wildlife species be found?
The grid layer represent a richness index of top wildlife watching species/groups, including Rhinos, Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Giraffe, Lowland and Mountain Gorilla, Chimpanzees, Bonobo, Sifaka, Ringtails, Aye-Aye, Mouse lemurs and Colobus. Number of occurring species/groups is weighted by specific scores of attractiveness and encounter easiness and calculated over a 0.5degrees-mesh grid. This indicator includes terrestrial species only, therefore it underestimates countries hosting attractive coastal and marine species watching.
Wildlife economy potential
Which assets contribute more to the country wildlife economy potential for nature-based tourism?
This indicator represents assets contributing to wildlife tourism, such as wildlife-watching species richness, biomes richness and landscape features. Both wildlife watching-species and biomes richness were weighted by an index of attractiveness based on expert opinion. Landscape features index refers to the occurrence of stunning landscapes, in particular great lakes, mountain ranges and warm coral reef. All the indices where standardised on a 0 to 3 scale and then summed up to the total potential indicator. The final indicator ranges between 1 and 9 and was rescaled to low potential (1-3), medium potential (4-6), and high potential (7-9). The landscape features indicator refers to the presence of lakes, coral reefs and mountain ranges in the countries. The landscape feature indicator is simple presence-absence of big lakes (GLWD_P(0/1), Lehner & Döll, 2004), mountain ranges (GMBA_P(0/1), Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment, Mountain Inventory v1.2) and warm-water coral reefs (CR_P(0/1), UNEP-WCMC) combined at country level without weighting factors. The indicator varies between 0 and 3. LFR = GLWD_P(0/1) + GMBA_P(0/1) + CR_P(0/1) Despite its simplistic and coarse approach, we included this indicator because it covers some dimensions of wildlife potential underestimated by the other two components. The presence of lakes is strongly correlated with birdwatching, which is quite an important ecotourism niche. Coral reef diving is generally driven by wildlife attraction (coloured corals and fishes), sometimes targeting specific species such as sea turtles and whale sharks. In our indicator, this feature accounts for marine wildlife tourism potential, without overlapping with generic beach tourism. Mountain ranges are prominent landscapes hosting some iconic species – though less known than the Big Five – such as gelada baboon and Ethiopian wolves, mountain forest birds and primates (e.g., mangabeys). These landscape features represent desirable add-ons to usual safaris, since they provide opportunities for tourists to walk or swim, and so obtain relief from offroad driving and rough conditions.
Time Series - Red List Index
Extract from the UN Statistics Division SDG metadata:
The Red List Index measures change in aggregate extinction risk across groups of species. It is based on
genuine changes in the number of species in each category of extinction risk on The IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species (IUCN 2015) is expressed as changes in an index ranging from 0 to 1.
The full metadata record is available here.