ENHANCING NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTIONS THROUGH PROTECTED AREAS

WWF US reviewed 151 NDCs from 179 countries to evaluate the integration of protected areas into national climate strategies. The analysis found that while 37% of countries explicitly mention protected areas, there is significant under-reporting of nature-based solutions, particularly regarding carbon sequestration and ecosystem-based adaptation. Developing nations generally demonstrated higher ambition than developed economies. The report provides five recommendations for Parties to enhance their NDCs, including setting measurable targets for area expansion and managing protected areas for future climate risks.

• Of the 179 countries analyzed, 67 (approximately 37%) explicitly mentioned protected areas or other conserved areas in their NDCs.
• There is a stark disparity in the inclusion of protected areas based on economic development; 60% of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and 41% of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) mentioned them, while only Mexico among 33 OECD countries did so.
• Nearly one in five countries (18%) expressed a clear intention to establish new protected areas or expand existing ones, though some targets lack specific time-frames or measurable scopes.
• Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) using protected areas is severely under-represented, with only 8 countries (4%) stating or implying that protected area ecosystem services could reduce human vulnerability to climate change.
• Only 12% of countries explicitly referenced the mitigation benefits of protected areas through carbon sequestration, with Latin America and the Caribbean showing the highest regional engagement at 29%.
• Very few nations incorporate climate risk information into the management of protected areas; only 10 countries mentioned using such data or adaptive measures to revise management plans.
• The report identifies a critical need for 'climate-smart' conservation, noting that terrestrial species have shifted latitudes at 16.9 km per decade and marine species at 72 km per decade due to warming.
• High-performing countries in the analysis, receiving 3.5 or more credits across the five criteria, include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Cambodia, Republic of Congo, Grenada, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Jordan, Madagascar, Mali, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Uganda, and Uruguay.

APA

Hehmeyer, A., Vogel, J., Martin, S., & Bartlett, R. (n.d.). ENHANCING NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTIONS THROUGH PROTECTED AREAS. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/355/3uq3mz3lhu_05819_WWF_Protected_Areas_Layout_3a_sprds.pdf

Chicago

Hehmeyer, Abigail, Jacqueline Vogel, Shaun Martin, and Ryan Bartlett. ENHANCING NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTIONS THROUGH PROTECTED AREAS. WWF International, n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/355/3uq3mz3lhu_05819_WWF_Protected_Areas_Layout_3a_sprds.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hehmeyer |first1=Abigail |last2=Vogel |first2=Jacqueline |last3=Martin |first3=Shaun |last4=Bartlett |first4=Ryan |title=ENHANCING NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTIONS THROUGH PROTECTED AREAS |publisher=WWF International |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/355/3uq3mz3lhu_05819_WWF_Protected_Areas_Layout_3a_sprds.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hehmeyerndenhancing, author = {Hehmeyer, Abigail and Vogel, Jacqueline and Martin, Shaun and Bartlett, Ryan}, title = {{ENHANCING NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTIONS THROUGH PROTECTED AREAS}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/355/3uq3mz3lhu_05819_WWF_Protected_Areas_Layout_3a_sprds.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }