The Digital Observatory for Protected Areas (DOPA) Explorer 1.0

Grégoire Dubois, Javier Martinez-Lopez, Andrew Cottam, William Temperley, Bastian Bertzky, Mariagrazia Graziano, Lucy Bastin

Research output: Book/ReportCommissioned report

Abstract

The Digital Observatory for Protected Areas (DOPA) has been developed to support the European Union’s efforts in strengthening our capacity to mobilize and use biodiversity data, information and forecasts so that they are readily accessible to policymakers, managers, experts and other users. Conceived as a set of web based services, DOPA provides a broad set of free and open source tools to assess, monitor and even forecast the state of and pressure on protected areas at local, regional and global scale. DOPA Explorer 1.0 is a web based interface available in four languages (EN, FR, ES, PT) providing simple means to explore the nearly 16,000 protected areas that are at least as large as 100 km2. Distinguishing between terrestrial, marine and mixed protected areas, DOPA Explorer 1.0 can help end users to identify those with most unique ecosystems and species, and assess the pressures they are exposed to because of human development. Recognized by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) as a reference information system, DOPA Explorer is based on the best global data sets available and provides means to rank protected areas at the country and ecoregion levels. Inversely, DOPA Explorer indirectly highlights the protected areas for which information is incomplete. We finally invite the end-users of DOPA to engage with us through the proposed communication platforms to help improve our work to support the safeguarding of biodiversity.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationLuxembourg
PublisherPublications Office of the European Union
Number of pages53
ISBN (Electronic)978-92-79-47103-2
ISBN (Print)978-92-79-47102-5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015

Publication series

NameJRC scientific and technical reports
PublisherJoint Research Centre
No.EUR 27162 EN
ISSN (Print)1831-9424
ISSN (Electronic)1018-5593

Bibliographical note

© European Union, 2015. Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Keywords

  • protected area
  • biodiversity
  • environmental policy
  • environmental protection
  • research report
  • Internet site
  • information technology

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