On January 26, 2024, a meeting was held in the city of Rawson with the aim of continuing the commitments made by the Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea and Areas of Influence (FORO) and the provincial authorities to collaborate in the process of the First Periodic Review of the Valdés Biosphere Reserve, ten years after its designation under the MaB/UNESCO Program.
The conference was jointly organized by the Undersecretariat of Conservation and Protected Areas of the Ministry of Tourism and Protected Areas of Chubut, and the Forum within the framework of the “MaRes Project to strengthen the resilience of the coastal and marine areas of Argentina”, financed by the European Union.
Management and technical staff of the Ministry of Tourism and Protected Areas of Chubut participated, including Nadia Bravo, Undersecretary of Conservation and Protected Areas. Ricardo Delfino Schenke, coordinator of the MaRes Project, was also part of the team.
The meeting was facilitated by: Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina and Global Penguin Society with the collaboration of Fundación Cambio Democrático, Aves Argentinas and Wildlife Society Argentina, all organizations linked to the project.
Biosphere Reserves, opportunities for conservation
Biosphere Reserves (BRs) are designated under the Man and the Biosphere Program of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), created in 1971.
These areas seek to harmonize the preservation of nature with human development. They are sites for implementing interdisciplinary approaches to understand and manage changes and interactions between social and ecological systems, such as conflict prevention and biodiversity management. They also involve local communities and stakeholders in planning and management.
Ten years after their designation, BRs are undergoing a review process that includes an evaluation of zoning, governance, planning and functions. For this to be effective and comprehensive, it is essential to implement a governance instrument that ensures the participation and coordination of the wide variety of stakeholders involved.
Designated in 2014, the Península Valdés Biosphere Reserve covers an area of almost two million hectares, including the Península Valdés, Punta Loma and Punta León Natural Protected Areas (NPAs), recognized worldwide for their natural and cultural heritage.
Germán Palé, from Fundación Vida Silvestre, who participated in the meeting, said: “We agreed to prioritize the work in the Valdés Biosphere Reserve, jointly analyze the proposed planning, make adjustments, plan next steps and prioritize those issues that were identified as key to make progress in improving the Reserve’s governance”.
The meeting made it possible not only to orient future efforts, but also to strengthen ties between the actors involved by identifying issues related to governance, a fundamental element for the effective management of BRs.