UDP - Share of protected/designated land

This descriptor measures the share of protected/designated land belonging to the European networks Natura 2000 or Emerald Network in relation to the total area of the country or region. Natura 2000 is the ecological network for the conservation of wild animal and plant species and natural habitats of European importance across EU Member States. Emerald Network is the equivalent of Natura 2000 in non-EU European countries. For Iceland, not covered by both networks, the Nationally designated areas (CDDA) are considered. A high percentage of protected/designated land indicates the relevant presence of natural assets of high value. This descriptor is provided in the EU Tourism Dashboard as complementary information to characterize tourism offer. UNIT OF MEASURE: %. RESOLUTION: NUTS0, NUTS2, NUTS3. COMPLETENESS: 100%. METHODOLOGY: Natura 2000 areas and Emerald sites were merged into a single layer and then intersected with NUTS geometry. The share of protected land was calculated by aggregating the result of the intersection per NUTS code. DATA SOURCES: Natura 2000, Emerald Network, Nationally designated areas, NUTS 2021 classification.