World database on protected areas revamped

The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), managed by the World Conservation Monitoring Center, maintains a list of protected areas from the world over. A joint project of the United Nations Environment Program and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, this initiative provided scientists & conservationists free data (Protected area boundaries among others) and information on different protected areas for non-commercial use.

The website has received a significant face lift from its earlier avatar, and now houses a mashup incorporating data from GBIF, Google Maps, Panoromio, Flickr and Wikipedia along with the conventional information from WDPA. The data download for protected area boundaries, too has been extended and incorporates KML support as well.

Screenshot from WDPA on a page for Sagarmatha National park

The product launch coincides with another similar product launch - Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool, or IBAT, from a partnership between the U.N. monitoring center, Birdlife International and Conservation International.

Both products are being showcased at the World Conservation Congress, in Barcelona, Spain.

via EcoGeek.org and Green Inc.

P.S.: Sadly, both bloggers suggest that the new WDPA product provides information on a Google Maps platform, but failed to mention that it is powered by ESRI, (as is evident on the website). ESRI must be pretty piqued at this!