ARIS — UNESCO designated 14 new biosphere reserves across 14 countries on World Environment Day, expanding its global network to 797 sites in 145 nations.
Montenegro, Timor-Leste and Aruba welcomed their first biosphere reserves, with Aruba’s entire territory now protected. For the first time, a city – Québec City in Canada – was also named a biosphere reserve.
New sites include Shkodër Lake in Albania, Theniet El Had in Algeria, Great Caucasus in Azerbaijan, Takamanda–Cross River Gorilla in Cameroon, Dalankuh–Qamishlou in Iran, Tost Toson Bumbiin Nuruu in Mongolia, Skadar Lake Watershed in Montenegro, Sur del Alto Paraná in Paraguay, Matibay na Bayan ng Sablayan in the Philippines, Serra da Estrela in Portugal, Nino Konis Santana in Timor-Leste and Phong Nha–Ke Bang in Viet Nam. Extensions were approved for five reserves in China, Italy and Spain.
“Biosphere reserves prove every day that protecting nature and improving human lives are not competing goals,” said UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany. “This year’s designations span every continent, showing the full range of what it means to live in harmony with nature.”
UNESCO also launched a practical manual for journalists, developed with the OSCE and media partners, to strengthen reporting on environmental issues amid rising misinformation.
Since 1971, biosphere reserves have been central to UNESCO’s environmental mission, covering more than 13 million square km of ecosystems worldwide and contributing to the Kunming-Montreal target of conserving 30% of land and sea by 2030.
