How well are different ecosystem types, as indicated by land cover, preserved and how strong are anthropogenic changes affecting their distribution in a given area? Human pressures are constantly increasing and it is important to monitor the consequences of the associated changes on the environment, in particular inside and around protected areas to ensure that natural ecosystems and their
associated species and ecosystem functions (e.g. goods and services) are preserved. By comparing land cover maps over time at the country, ecoregion and protected area level, land use changes can be identified. 

Indicator unit: Natural areas and their protection statistics are expressed in km2 of the area of interest.

Area of interest: Natural areas and their protection statistics have been generated for each country.

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Data Uploaded by Luca Battistella using the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas Services (2022)