The Arrábida Biosphere Reserve candidacy was submitted in September 2024 to the Secretariat of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MaB) Programme in Paris.
UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, announced today in Hangzhou the recognition of 30 new biosphere reserves, globally acknowledged for their unique ecosystems and innovative approaches to sustainable living.
Following the World Congress of Biosphere Reserves, which concluded on Friday, the announcement included new areas from four Portuguese-speaking countries: Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.
For Portugal, UNESCO describes the Arrábida Biosphere Reserve’s location along the “stunning Atlantic coast of Portugal,” spanning 200 square kilometers centered around the Serra da Arrábida, “whose limestone cliffs plunge into the ocean, framing a landscape that combines Mediterranean scrublands, dense forests of maritime pines, hidden caves, and vibrant marine ecosystems.”
The Arrábida Biosphere Reserve is home to more than 1,400 plant species, representing 40% of Portugal’s flora, including 70 rare and endemic species.
The area also hosts diverse fauna, including 200 vertebrate species and over 2,000 marine species, such as bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), and red mullets (Mullus barbatus).
UNESCO highlights the “impressive coastal cliffs and underwater gorges,” noting that approximately 68,000 people live in historic towns, picturesque fishing ports, and charming rural villages throughout the reserve.
“The economic activities combine ancestral traditions–like artisanal fishing, olive cultivation, and the production of the famous Moscatel de Setúbal–with emerging ecotourism opportunities. In Setúbal and Sesimbra, fishing families maintain artisanal gear and seasonal calendars, like sardine fishing (arte de pescar), passing on traditional knowledge that sustains marine ecosystems,” the document states.
The biosphere reserve designation facilitates integrated coastal and marine conservation, emphasizing habitat restoration, sustainable fishing, and responsible tourism.
The announcement made today in China was attended by a Portuguese delegation.
The Setúbal Region Municipalities Association (AMRS) explained this week that the candidacy aimed to “affirm Arrábida as a living laboratory of sustainability, promoting the balance between economic, social, and cultural activities and the preservation, conservation, and recovery of ecosystems in the valuable Mediterranean biome of the mountain and surrounding region.”
The candidacy preparation process, involving active participation from local communities, began in 2016 with a protocol signed between AMRS, the municipalities of Palmela, Sesimbra, and Setúbal, and the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF).
In July last year, Maria da Graça Carvalho, then Minister of Environment and Energy, declared support for the candidacy, considering it “an important milestone for the region and the country,” and stated that international recognition would project Arrábida on a global level.
The area now designated as a Biosphere Reserve is already partly covered by protected areas and the Natura 2000 Network. It includes the Luiz Saldanha Marine Park, a fully protected area where human activities are prohibited as it serves as a breeding ground for species like seahorses and cuttlefish.
These are among the reasons that led the municipalities of Palmela, Setúbal, and Sesimbra, along with AMRS and CNF, to submit the candidacy that was accepted today.
