The Global 200 is a conservation framework created by the World Wide Fund for Nature to highlight a set of ecoregions that, together, represent the planet's most biologically valuable and distinctive natural areas. Rather than a legal list, it is a strategic tool used by conservationists and policymakers to focus attention and resources on places that sustain exceptional diversity, endemism, or unique ecological processes.

What is an ecoregion?

An ecoregion is a broad geographic area—on land or in the sea—defined by a characteristic assembly of species, ecological dynamics, and environmental conditions. This concept groups landscapes and waters that share similar communities and long-term ecological functions, making it a practical unit for conservation planning. The Global 200 covers three realms: terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecoregions, acknowledging that biodiversity conservation must account for different kinds of habitats and connectivity.

How ecoregions were selected

The selection of Global 200 ecoregions was informed by multiple, complementary considerations intended to capture global biological diversity. Criteria commonly described in the selection process include:

  • High species richness and concentrations of endemic species.
  • Presence of rare or globally threatened habitat types and ecological communities.
  • Unique evolutionary history or distinctive biogeographic features.
  • Representation of major global habitat types so that a broad spectrum of Earth’s biodiversity is included.

Conservation status and purpose

Each ecoregion on the Global 200 is assigned a broad conservation status to indicate the degree of threat and the urgency of action. The WWF uses categories such as:

  • Critical or endangered — ecosystems severely altered or at high risk.
  • Vulnerable — facing significant pressures that could lead to serious decline.
  • Relatively stable or intact — ecosystems that remain largely functional but still require monitoring and protection.

WWF reports that over half of the ecoregions in the Global 200 are rated endangered, underscoring widespread conservation needs.

History, application and examples

Developed in the 1990s as part of efforts to set global conservation priorities, the Global 200 helped shift attention from single-species approaches to landscape- and seascape-scale planning. It has been used to guide scientific research, direct funding and capacity building, and raise public awareness. Well-known natural areas often cited as examples of globally important ecoregions include large tropical rainforests and coral reef systems such as the Amazon basin and the Great Barrier Reef—each representing distinct ecological values within the Global 200 framework.

Benefits, limitations and complementary approaches

The Global 200 provides a manageable list for targeting global conservation efforts, promoting representation of diverse habitat types. However, it is not a substitute for local assessments: scale, changing threats (like climate change), and socioeconomic contexts require ongoing, site-specific planning. The Global 200 is commonly used alongside other tools and regional priority-setting frameworks to develop conservation actions that are feasible and equitable on the ground.

For further detail on definitions and the list of ecoregions, see resources describing ecoregions and the WWF’s conservation priorities.