Hectares of land and sea newly protected

Find out how we monitor impact across our projects

292,026

ha of land and sea newly protected.

This KPI records the area of land or sea within the project landscape or seascape that has been given long-term protection, through a legal designation or recognition, as a direct or indirect result of project activities.

This includes global, regional and national designations, including UN designations where they aim to protect nature (e.g. World Heritage Sites, Biospheres). It also includes private, non-governmental organisation or community-owned land, that is put under some form of covenant and/or agreement which restricts environmentally damaging activities (Other Effective Conservation Measures OECMs).

Cumulative area newly protected (ha)

How this KPI is measured

The KPI is evidenced through the provision of GIS maps, Government Decrees (legislation) or other legal documents.

Why this is important

Well-governed and effectively managed protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) are a proven method for safeguarding both habitats and populations of species and for delivering important ecosystem services and multiple benefits to people.

The Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme has a focus on restoring biodiversity, habitats and ecosystem processes. Protecting areas of existing high conservation value, putting in place protections that remove barriers to ecosystem recovery, and protecting areas that have been restored, are all important actions in landscape- and seascape-scale approaches.

Policy relevance

Among the Global Biodiversity Framework’s key elements are four goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030. Target 3 is to conserve 30% of land, waters and seas. To meet this target Parties to the convention are required to ‘Ensure and enable that by 2030 at least 30 per cent of terrestrial, inland water, and of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, are effectively conserved and managed through ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably governed systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures…’

This is reflected in Pillar One of the European Union’s Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 which has a target to legally protect at least 30% of the European Union’s land area and 30% of its seas by 2030.

Project examples

Creating new protected areas: Pushcha Radzivila National Park in Ukraine

To date, the Polesia project has newly designated 80,410 hectares of land in Ukraine and Belarus. On the first day of 2022 the President of Ukraine signed a decree officially creating the new Pushcha Radzivila National Park. The Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Birds (USPB), as part of the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme-funded Polesia – Wilderness without borders project, played a significant role in the creation of the new national park. The park covers 24,265 hectares in Ukraine’s Rivne region. Together with protected areas in neighbouring Belarus, it forms one of the largest natural complexes of bogs and transitional mires in Europe.

Marine protection in Türkiye

Marine protected areas and No Fishing Zones are a proven way of allowing marine ecosystems and fish stocks to recover. In Turkey, as part of the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme-funded Gokova Bay to Cape Gelidonya project, Akdeniz Koruma Derneği (AKD) and Fauna & Flora led efforts that resulted in protected designations along nearly 200 km of coast (19,347 hectares). This expanded network of marine protected areas will enable protection and restoration of a huge area of Türkiye’s coastline, benefiting marine wildlife as well as local communities.

Purchasing hunting concessions in Romania

The long-term vision of the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme -funded project in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania is creation of a 200,000 ha Wilderness Reserve. As part of its strategy the project lead, Foundation Conservation Carpathia, has secured 70,000 ha of new hunting concessions – but does not allow hunting. Instead, Foundation Conservation Carpathia is developing a modern wildlife management system for these areas, including a conflicts mitigation and resolution programme to assure coexistence of large carnivores (like wolf and bear) and people. The protection this provides complements the adjacent Piatra Craiului National Park, creating a contiguous and extensive hunting-free area.