How much of the Earth's land is protected?
1 Answer
Jan 12, 2017
According to the World Database on Protected Areas' 2016 report, less than 15% of the world's land and inland waters are protected.
Explanation:
According to the World Database on Protected Areas' 2016 report, less than 15% of the world's land and inland waters are protected in some shape or form (see report here). This includes national parks, wildlife reserves, biological refuges, and other protected areas that may be managed and owned by governments, indigenous groups, or private companies.
The amount of protected area varies greatly by country. For example, 12.3% of land is protected in Pakistan. Protected area is shown in green in the image below.
Only 6.5% of land in Paraguay is protected.
