The Secretariat of the MAB Program in Spain joins the 50th Anniversary Celebration

The Man and the Biosphere Program was created in 1971 with the aim of harmonizing the conservation of biological and cultural diversity with the economic and social development of communities. Since then, Spain has been the most active country in the network because it has seen biosphere reserves as an opportunity for local socioeconomic development. For this reason, Spain is the country with the highest number of biosphere reserves in the world, as it currently has 52 biosphere reserves. These include four transboundary biosphere reserves and the first intercontinental biosphere reserve in the Mediterranean, which stretches from southern Morocco to northern Spain. In total, the Spanish biosphere reserves represent 12% of the national territory, (60,713 square kilometers) inhabited by around two million people.

Under the coordination of the Autonomous National Parks Organization (OAPN) – in charge of managing the MAB program in Spain – all biosphere reserves develop projects and experiences whose objective is to fulfill three priority functions:

1. the conservation of their biological and cultural diversity;
2. their economic development from a sociocultural and environmental point of view, and
3. logistical support through research, environmental education, training and monitoring.

The MAB Secretariat in Spain is organizing several activities to join in the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of UNESCO’s MAB Programme It’s About Life .