The application for the Serra da Estrela to become a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is viewed as a strategic tool for enhancing natural resources, preserving cultural and natural heritage, and promoting sustainable territorial development. The proposal entered public consultation in April within the six municipalities of the Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela (PNSE) and was publicly presented in Guarda by the protected area’s Co-management Commission and the Geopark Estrela Association.
The process is led by Geopark Estrela’s Executive Director, Emanuel de Castro, alongside Helena Freitas from the University of Coimbra. This application is part of the Co-management Plan of PNSE approved in November 2024, covering the municipalities of Covilhã, Celorico da Beira, Gouveia, Guarda, Manteigas, and Seia.
The Minister of Environment and Energy supports the application as an initiative to enhance socioeconomic value and reinforce the resilience of Serra da Estrela, mitigating its vulnerabilities.
“Serra da Estrela must be preserved, valued, and promoted through public nature conservation policies, social cohesion, and sustainable development,” stated the minister.
Maria da Graça Carvalho highlighted Serra da Estrela’s exceptional natural, cultural, and social value, recognized for its ecological and scenic diversity, presence of endemic and threatened species, and unique cultural heritage, making it “a remarkable example of nature and culture integration.” However, she noted that rural fires contributing to biodiversity and natural resources loss are vulnerabilities that should be addressed by socioeconomic valorizations and resilience reinforcement to restore ecosystem services and local activities.
Portugal currently has 12 Biosphere Reserves on the mainland and in the Azores and Madeira archipelagos and may expand its national network of classified areas next year.
