This online map provides a detailed representation of the world's terrestrial areas with classification into habitat types, and allows specific searches into a variety of features such as human impact on forest, realised clean water provision, and areas of global significance for conservation. These are displayed as a set of integrated global maps on biodiversity and ecosystems services, including carbon. These maps aim to support the design and planning of policies aimed at limiting biodiversity loss, and net greenhouse gas emissions from land use, in an integrated manner and based on the best available scientific data.
The Nature Map initiative was developed jointly by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the Instituto Internacional para Sustentabilidade (IIS), the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), and the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). Royal Botanic Gardens Kew is supporting the analysis of plant taxa. The project is funded by Norway’s International Climate Initiative (NICFI).
These new and innovative maps represent an important decision support tool for countries. For example, aiding the identification of areas where conservation and restoration actions would deliver the highest benefits to biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation, serving as an important component in the implementation of relevant multilateral environmental agreements.