Environment in Portugal - Cooperation with Norway on Biosphere Reserves
The Environment Programme in Portugal supports the project Biosphere Reserves. In this project, a total of 11 partners from Portugal and Norway work together to preserve the 11 biosphere reserves that exist in Portugal.
Biosphere reserves are areas with great biodiversity and fauna. The project promotes the management and sustainability of the reserves, their economic development, local involvement of the communities tat lives inside and around the reserves and the attraction of visitors and tourists to the areas.
What is a biosphere reserve?
Biosphere Reserves are unique territories of natural and cultural heritage and committed to protect the heritage, well-being and progress of communities. The world network of biosphere reserves reflects the 2030 Agenda and SDGs at local level, supported by the UNESCO goals of education, science, culture and information.
Study Trip to the Portuguese Biosphere Reserves
The study trip included a visit to Golegã and the Paul do Boquilobo Biosphere Reserve in Gerês, a visit to the Geres-Xurés Biosphere Reserve both on the Portuguese and the Spanish side Xurés and a visit to the Berlengas Islands Biosphere Reserve on the coast of Peniche.
The study trip was organised by the Ministry of Environment in Portugal, which is the operator of the EEA Environment Programme. The participants from Norway on the trip included representatives from Nord-Hordaland biosphere reserve, the Norwegian Environment Agency, Innovation Norway and the Norwegian Embassy in Lisbon.
In addition, the participants included representatives of the project on biospheres financed by the programme.
The Portuguese public broadcaster RTP also joined the study trip. The press coverage was very good, both nationally and in local media.
Here from 15:00: Europa Minha Episódio 9 - de 04 Jun 2022 - RTP Play - RTP.
Nordhordland Biosphere Reserve
Nohordland is a pioneer in Norway, as it is the first and, so far, only biosphere reserve in the country. You can read more about it here: Nordhordland Biosfære. Nordhordland is a project partner in the project. They contribute with exchange experiences, ideas and practices on the management of the reserves.
Portuguese-Norwegian Bilateral Project on Biosphere Reserves
The project is supported as part of the EEA Grants Environment Programme in Portugal. It aims to map, analyse, generate and test new knowledge and solutions for sustainable land-use at a local scale in line with the needs of the people of Biosphere Reserves in Portugal.
The partners in the project use best-practice knowledge of the past, and fuse it with current needs and methods to build solutions for a better future.
The 12 Portuguese Biosphere Reserves are the focus of this project. Nordhordland Biosphere Reserve will be the Norwegian comparative case study.
Project promoter: Quaternaire Portugal SA
Partners
- Nordhordland Utviklingsselskap IKS
- University of Coimbra
- New University of Lisbon - Faculty of Social and Human Sciences
- PC & A - Strategic Marketing Consultants, Lda
- Pedro Nunes Institute, Association for Innovation and Development in Science and Technology
- Order of Biologists
- KEEP - Knowledge for Peace, People and the Planet
- University of Bergen
- Icelandic National Commission for UNESCO
The EEA Grants Programme on Environment in Portugal
The programme is supported by Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein through the EEA Grants. It focuses on the environment, climate change and low-carbon economy in Portugal as well as increasing cooperation. Read more: Portugal - Environment, Climate Change and Low Carbon Economy.