West Africa Protected Areas

The protected areas map was compiled from the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) (IUCN and UNEP-WCMC, 2016). However, the WDPA database is not complete and some protected areas are not listed or are missing spatial data. Other sources were consulted in order to present an accurate and up-to-date protected areas map. Protected areas under the “Proposed” status were not included unless other sources stated they had been formally designated. Hunting zones were not included because they do not offer the level of protection inherent in other categories of protected areas.