International Day for Biosphere Reserves 2024
The date was set by UNESCO and aims to highlight the importance of these natural spaces in the conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity.
UNESCO Biosphere Reserves cover more than 766 million ha., representing more than 5% of the Earth’s land surface area and roughly 1.5% of the planet’s total surface.
In 2024, the global network of Biosphere Reserves reached 759 reserves – 12 in Portugal. These reserves protect significant ecosystems and threatened species, ensuring their conservation for social, economic, cultural, and ecological benefit. They serve as models for promoting the SDGs, aimed at fostering more sustainable, equitable, and healthy societies, as highlighted by UNESCO at COP16, recently held in Colombia.
On this International Day for Biosphere Reserves, we celebrate this global network and the commitment of the communities that inhabit these areas to contributing to “Peace with Nature.”
