MONET 2030: Swiss protected area

SDG 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Swiss target 15.1: To secure space for the long-term conservation of biodiversity, at least 17 per cent58 of the land area is protected through properly maintained, environmentally representative and well interconnected systems of protected areas and other effective site-related conservation measures, and integrated into the surrounding landscape. The ecological infrastructure is developed and reinforced. The status of priority national habitats is improved. 

Significance of the indicator
The indicator shows the proportion of protected areas across the entire Swiss territory. Biodiversity is an important basis for the essential benefits provided by ecosystems. It is therefore a fundamental resource and a natural asset to be conserved.  An increase in this proportion is, therefore, a step towards sustainable development.

Help for interpretation
The indicator does not take into account the areas for landscape protection. Moreover, it considers only the areas protected at the federal level, which represent about two thirds of the total protected areas. The other areas dedicated to biodiversity but not recorded as protected areas of national, regional, cantonal or local importance are not taken into account.

International comparability
At European level, the indicator can be compared with the “Nationally designated protected areas” indicator published by the European Environment Agency (EEA). At global level, it can be compared with statistics from the World Database on Protected Areas managed by the United Nations Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). The values shown by these different indicators reveal certain differences, due in particular to the fact that the areas considered are not exactly the same.