UNESCO designates 26 new biosphere reserves amid biodiversity challenges and climate change

UNESCO designated 26 new biosphere reserves on Saturday in Hangzhou, China, expanding the global network to 785 sites in 142 countries since 1971. The reserves, part of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme, span 21 countries and include areas where people live and work. The program and its partners announced the designation as they also adopted a 10-year strategic action plan to study climate-change impacts and reinforce resilience in ecosystems and local economies.

Biosphere reserves are built on the premise that biodiversity conservation supports socioeconomic development, and that scientists, residents and government officials must work together to balance conservation goals with local livelihoods and cultural needs. António Abreu, head of the program, stressed that including local communities in decision-making reduces the risk of conflict and misunderstanding as conservation and development efforts proceed. The designation signals a commitment to integrating research, sustainable livelihoods and environmental stewardship across vast landscapes and coastal zones.

Among the new reserves is a sprawling 52,000-square-mile (135,000-square-kilometer) swath of Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago, home to more than 75% of the earth’s coral species, plus rainforest habitats and endangered sea turtles. The local economy relies on fishing, aquaculture, small-scale agriculture and tourism. In Iceland, the Snæfellsnes Biosphere Reserve on the west coast comprises about 1,460 square kilometers and features volcanic peaks, lava fields, wetlands, grasslands and the Snæfellsjökull glacier. The reserve supports seabirds, seals and more than 70% of Iceland’s plant life, while its population of just over 4,000 people depends on fishing, sheep farming and tourism. In Angola, the Quiçama Biosphere Reserve spans 206 kilometers of the Atlantic coast and encompasses savannahs, forests, flood plains, estuaries and islands; it is home to elephants, manatees, sea turtles and more than 200 bird species, with residents engaged in livestock herding, farming and fishing.

UNESCO noted that residents are essential partners in protecting biodiversity and that local communities have contributed to identifying new species and shaping restoration and management efforts. Scientists, too, are working to restore ecosystems to bolster local economies. In Pangatalan Island near the Philippines, researchers helped design a reef-restoration structure and taught fishermen to raise fish through aquaculture, enabling reef recovery while improving food security and market income. On Príncipe Island in São Tomé and Príncipe, mangrove restoration works have buffered coastlines against storm surges and provided critical habitat for wildlife, illustrating how conservation actions can align with economic and climate resilience.

The agency also highlighted that climate pressures are already evident across many biosphere reserves. At least 60% of UNESCO’s biosphere reserves have experienced weather-related impacts tied to climate change, driven largely by fossil-fuel burning and resulting in heat waves, droughts and rising sea levels. To monitor these changes, UNESCO is turning to satellite imagery and computer modeling to track shifts in coastal zones and other vulnerable areas, while digitizing its historical databases to inform future preservation and management decisions.

Despite the gains, some reserves face ongoing pressures from development and land-use change. In Nigeria, for example, habitat for a dwindling population of critically endangered African forest elephants is threatened as cocoa farming expands into Omo Forest Reserve, a protected rainforest that is one of Africa’s oldest and largest UNESCO biosphere reserves. The forest also plays a role in climate regulation by storing carbon and supporting biodiversity.

The broader diplomatic backdrop includes a U.S. policy position toward UNESCO. The Trump administration announced in July that the United States would withdraw from UNESCO as of December 2026, a move that mirrors a previous withdrawal. The United States still maintains 47 biosphere reserves, mostly within federally protected areas, but its participation in UNESCO programs has been limited since the withdrawal.

Ecotourism and biosphere trails have emerged as growing economic activities within several reserves, offering guided bird-watching tours and other nature-based experiences that support local communities while raising awareness about conservation and climate resilience. As UNESCO expands the network with new sites, officials say the emphasis remains on inclusive governance, scientific collaboration and long-term monitoring to ensure that biodiversity preservation and local development reinforce each other across diverse environments and cultures.