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.