The III Spanish Congress of Biosphere Reserves, taking place in La Siberia, has laid the groundwork for the future of the 55 Reserves that make up the Spanish Network. The event, which brings together managers, scientists, and representatives of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MaB) Programme, has concluded with significant agreements for the coming decade.
One of the most significant outcomes was the unanimous endorsement of the new Strategic Action Plan for the Spanish Network of Biosphere Reserves 2026–2035, titled “La Siberia–La Palma”. This collectively built roadmap aligns with the new Strategy and Action Plan of Hangzhou of the UNESCO MaB Programme, and will guide the Network's priorities for the next ten years.
The Congress also led to the renewal of the leadership of the Management Council, a technical advisory body to the Spanish Committee of the MaB Programme. Andrea Macho Benito, manager of the Terras do Miño and Os Ancares Lucenses Biosphere Reserves, was unanimously elected as the new president. The La Palma World Biosphere Reserve congratulates Macho Benito and thanks the previous representatives for their work.
In this new phase, the La Palma World Biosphere Reserve is taking on new coordination responsibilities. The Council has unanimously proposed Alfonso Montes de Oca, executive director of the Canary Islands World Biosphere Reserve Foundation, to assume the Secretariat of the Management Council.
Furthermore, the Council unanimously approved the proposal from the Canary Islands World Biosphere Reserve Foundation to move towards establishing a stable funding mechanism for the Spanish Network of Biosphere Reserves. This initiative highlights the need to provide Reserves with sufficient resources to fulfill their responsibilities in biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and knowledge transfer.
The Action Plan will now continue its institutional journey to La Palma, where the Spanish Committee of the MaB Programme, the collegiate body to which both the Management Council and the Scientific Council are attached, will finalize the process. The Spanish Network of Biosphere Reserves thus embarks on a new decade of shared work.
