FILE - Antelopes huddle in the bush after being released in the Quicama National Park, Sept. 16, 2000, about 75 kilometers (47 miles) south of Angola’s capital of Luanda. AP Photo/Armando Franca, File)
FILE - The Kwanza river snakes through the Quicama National Park about 75 kilometers (47 miles) south of Luanda, Angola, Sept 19, 2000. (AP Photo/Armando Franca, File)
UNESCO designates 26 new biosphere reserves amid biodiversity challenges and climate change
An Indonesian archipelago that’s home to three-fourths of Earth’s coral species, a stretch of Icelandic coast with 70% of the country’s plant life and an area along Angola’s Atlantic coast featuring savannahs, forests and estuaries are among 26 new UNESCO-designated biosphere reserves.
An Indonesian archipelago that’s home to three-fourths of Earth’s coral species, a stretch of Icelandic coast with 70% of the country’s plant life and an area along Angola’s Atlantic coast featuring savannahs, forests and estuaries are among 26 new UNESCO-designated biosphere reserves.
The United Nations cultural agency says the reserves 鈥 785 sites in 142 countries, designated since 1971 鈥 are home to some of the planet鈥檚 richest and most fragile ecosystems. But biosphere reserves encompass more than strictly protected nature reserves; they’re expanded to include areas where people live and work, and the designation requires that scientists, residents and government officials work together to balance conservation and research with local economic and cultural needs.
鈥淭he concept of biosphere reserves is that biodiversity conservation is a pillar of socioeconomic development鈥 and can contribute to the economy, said Ant贸nio Abreu, head of the program, adding that conflict and misunderstanding can result if local communities are left out of decision-making and planning.
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The new reserves, in 21 countries, were announced Saturday in Hangzhou, China, where the program adopted a 10-year strategic action plan that includes studying the effects of climate change, Abreu said.
Biodiversity hot spots
The new reserves include a 52,000-square-mile (135,000-square-kilometer) area in the Indonesian archipelago, Raja Ampat, home to over 75% of earth鈥檚 coral species as well as rainforests and rare endangered sea turtles. The economy depends on fishing, aquaculture, small-scale agriculture and tourism, UNESCO said.
On west coast, the Sn忙fellsnes Biosphere Reserve’s landscape includes volcanic peaks, lava fields, wetlands, grasslands and the Sn忙fellsj枚kull glacier. The 1,460-square-kilometer (564 square-mile) reserve is an important sanctuary for seabirds, seals and over 70% of Iceland’s plant life 鈥 including 330 species of wildflowers and ferns. Its population of more than 4,000 people relies on fishing, sheep farming and tourism.
And in , the new Qui莽ama Biosphere Reserve, along 206 kilometers (128 miles) of Atlantic coast is a 鈥渟anctuary for biodiversity鈥 within its savannahs, forests, flood plains, estuaries and islands, according to UNESCO. It’s home to elephants, manatees, sea turtles and more than 200 bird species. Residents’ livelihoods include livestock herding, farming, fishing, honey production.
Collaboration is key
Residents are important partners in protecting biodiversity within the reserves, and even have helped identify new species, said Abreu, the program’s leader. Meanwhile, scientists also are helping to restore ecosystems to benefit the local economy, he said.
For example, in the , the coral reefs around Pangatalan Island were severely damaged because local fishermen used dynamite to find depleted fish populations. Scientists helped design a structure to help coral reefs regrow and taught fishermen to raise fish through aquaculture so the reefs could recover.
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鈥淭hey have food and they have also fish to sell in the markets,鈥 said Abreu.
In the African nation of S茫o Tom茅 and Pr铆ncipe, a biosphere reserve on Pr铆ncipe Island led to restoration of mangroves, which help buffer against storm surges and provide important habitat, Abreu said.
Ecotourism also has become an important industry, with biosphere trails and guided bird-watching tours. A new species of owl was identified there in recent years.
This year, a biosphere reserve was added for the island of S茫o Tom茅, making the country the first entirely within a reserve.
Climate and environmental concerns
At least 60% of the UNESCO biosphere reserves have been affected by extreme weather tied to climate change, which is caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and gas, including extreme heat and drought and sea-level rise, Abreu said.
The agency is using satellite imagery and computer modeling to monitor changes in coastal zones and other areas, and is digitizing its historical databases, Abreu said. The information will be used to help determine how best to preserve and manage the reserves.
Some biosphere reserves also are under pressure from environmental degradation.
In Nigeria, for example, habitat for a dwindling population of critically endangered African as cocoa farmers expand into , a protected rainforest and one of Africa鈥檚 oldest and largest UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. The forest is also important to help combat .
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The Trump administration in July announced that from UNESCO as of December 2026, just as it did during his first administration, saying U.S. involvement is not in the national interest. The U.S. has , most in federal protected areas.
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