19 October 2010: The UN Environment Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), together with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has launched Protectedplanet.net, an interactive, social media-based website providing information on 150,000 protected areas worldwide.

Protectedplanet.net was launched at the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which is convening in Nagoya, Japan. The website allows the general public to upload photographs, record wildlife sightings and contribute reviews of visits to protected areas. According to UNEP, the initiative will boost the profile of lesser-known protected areas and lead to increased visitor numbers, as well as provide information for scientists, nongovernmental organizations and other interested stakeholders. [UNEP Press release]