Photo and Text © Gorka Nadal and C.M. Cordeiro 2025.
October 9, 2025 | Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, Spain
During the second day of the iCOSHELLs annual meeting in Bilbao, consortium members visited the Urdaibai Bird Centre, a world-class facility dedicated to avian conservation and environmental education. This visit, expertly organized by our host partner GAIA, revealed the intricate connections between bird populations, wetland ecosystems, and the soil health initiatives at the heart of our project.
The Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve: A Conservation Success Story
Designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1984, the Urdaibai region represents a remarkable example of how protected areas can balance environmental conservation with human well-being and economic development. Spanning the coastal and inland areas of Biscay in Northern Spain, this reserve encompasses diverse ecosystems, from coastal marshlands and estuaries to native broadleaf forests and traditional agricultural landscapes.
Research by Castillo-Eguskitza and colleagues (2017) demonstrates that the biosphere reserve designation has yielded tangible conservation benefits while supporting local communities. The study found that compared to adjacent non-protected areas, Urdaibai has achieved better conservation of native forests and rural landscapes, slowed the abandonment of traditional agricultural and forestry practices, and maintained higher employment in the primary sector. The designation has also limited large-scale urban development while supporting sustainable economic growth and preserving the biodiversity and ecosystem services crucial for local well-being.
These findings challenge the narrative that conservation necessarily restricts economic development, instead demonstrating that well-managed protected areas can foster sustainable prosperity.
