THE URDAIBAI BIOSPHERE RESERVE Management and Projects
Biosphere Reserves
UNESCO Declaration (1984)
The Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve
River Basin of the Oka river (Functional Unit of the landscape).
Surface area: 22,000 hectares.
1968
The Origin "Plan for the comprehensive use of the Guernica-Mundaca estuary"
Core = SPA: estuary, oak groves and archaeological sites.
Protection Area = PA: rivers, oak groves, landscape.
Transition Area: agricultural areas, forests, common rural land, rural communities...
Location, zoning and protection
Natural heritage: Biodiversity and Geodiversity
• Prehistoric sites. • Roman settlements. • Towns and medieval castles. • Gernika Tree. • The Camino de Santiago (The Way of St James)
• Farms and tower-houses. • Preindustrial facilities and activities. • Basque language and intangible heritage.
Cultural heritage
Multiple activities
• 22 municipalities. • Two large population centres Gernika-Lumo and Bermeo and population dispersed across
other municipalities. • Population: 45,000 inhabitants
Management Organisation
Participatory bodies
Enviromental restoration of the upper estuary, public
awareness, sustainable tourism
Proyectos
Projects
Osprey recovering project in the Urdaibai Biosphere
Reserve (2013/2017) Main goals
Ecotourism
Conservation
Education
Monge-Ganuzas et al., (2003) Geogaceta; Monge-Ganuzas et al. (2003) Geo-Temas; Monge-Ganuzas et al. (2004) Proceedings Littoral 2004.
Dune restoration LIFE project
Reserch, interpretation and education centers
Geodiversity
Information boards
Routes
Book
World Network
Aim: international co-operation through sharing knowledge,
exchanging experiences, building capacity and promoting best
practices
- Active colaboration in Euromab
- Bilateral relationships: Galloway and Southern Ayrshire (Scotland),
Dyfi (Wales)
The aim of the project between the Urdaibai (Basque Country, Spain) and
Dify (Wales, UK) Biosphere Reserves is to establish a collaboration
framework relative to:
Applied research.
Ecosystem restoration and management
actions.
Spreading & public awareness.
The results of that investigation will be the base for decision-making and
management.
It is expected to apply to LIFE+ and Horizon 2020
Science for Management 2016-2020
The project is open to one more Biosphere Reserve!
Key words:
Biosphere Reserves
fluvial dynamics Littoral sedimentary dynamics
and hydrodynamics
Climate Change
adaptation measures
Natura 2000
Habitat & species
Ecosystem Services
Cultural heritage
Main Research & Action Topics
GENERATION OF BASIC INFORMATION
Description and modelling of the hydrodynamics and sedimentary processes.
Description and mapping of the natural heritage: Natura 2000: habitats and species.
Description and mapping of the cultural heritage.
Description and mapping & economic assessment of the ecosystems services.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA-LEVEL RISE EFFECTS ON NATURAL AND
CULTURAL HERITAGE
Description of the sea-level rise curves during the last 100 years.
Analysis of the consequences on the natural and cultural heritage for different scenarios.
Analysis of the consequences on the services of the ecosystems for different scenarios.
Economic assessment of the ecosystem services in the context of the future prediction for the identified
scenarios.
MANAGEMENT AND ADAPTATION MEASURES
Establishment of management and adaptation measures for the conservation of the ecosystems and the
services that they provide based on the basic information and the results of the predicted scenarios.