Watersheds of the World - Protected Areas
| Analytical Overview |
| Data on protected areas are from the Biodiversity Map Library, produced by the World Conservation Monitoring Center, 1996. Most of the protected areas are represented by polygons, but some are represented by points only. For the latter, circular buffers were generated corresponding to the reported size of the protected area. |
Map Projection
Robinson
Map Description
This map shows the percentage of the basin area occupied by nationally protected areas that fall within the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Management Categories I-V. Included are areas that are strictly protected and areas where some sustainable use of resources is allowed. More than half-- 82 of the watersheds analyzed-- have less than 5 percent of their land area under national protection. The pattern of protection is such that most of the high value, species-rich watersheds are the least protected. For example, species-rich areas such as the Paraná watershed, as well as much of the Amazon, the Congo, and almost all the basins in India, China, Southeast Asia, and Papua New Guinea, have less than 5 percent of their area protected.
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Citation:
Revenga, C., S. Murray, J. Abramovitz, and A. Hammond, 1998. Watersheds of the World: Ecological Value and Vulnerability. Washington, DC: World Resources Institute.
Sources:
- WCMC (World Conservation Monitoring Centre). 1996, Biodiversity Map Library.Cambridge, UK:WCMC.