The Terres de l’Ebre biosphere reserve has a high biodiversity and includes one of themost important wetlands in the Mediterranean, the Ebro Delta.
The Unesco International Centre, headquarters of the Foundation, is a center for thedissemination of ideas, projects and knowledge, devoted to the sustainablemanagement of natural and cultural heritage.
The Abertis Foundation, through the Unesco International Centre on MediterraneanBiosphere Reserves (CIURBM), will promote a study for the recovery of the Terres del’Ebre biosphere reserve, which will focus on the natural spaces that have remainedseverely affected by the effects of the Storm Gloria this week. According to the director ofthe Foundation, Sergi Loughney, “with this study, we want to contribute to the generationof resources for the recovery of the area, which has a very high natural value, and for thiswe will also seek the collaboration of the administrations and entities involved”.
Terres de l’Ebre, declared aBiosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2013, has a highbiodiversity as a result of avaried relief and strategic geographical situation. With a totalarea of 367,729hectares, the reserve goes from the dunes of the Ebro Delta to the beechforestsof Retaule, one of the southernmost in Europe. The Ebro Delta is also one ofthemost important wetlands in the Mediterranean.
Unesco International Centre on Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves
The institutional headquarters of the Abertis Foundation, located in theCastellet Castle(Barcelona), was declared Unesco International Centre onMediterranean BiosphereReserves (CIURBM) in 2013. This is the first experienceof public-private collaboration inthe field of Category 2 centers of theBiosphere Reserve network, recognized by theUnited Nations organization.
The more than70 territories that make up the Mediterranean Biosphere Reserve Network(RRBMed)include a set of diverse and representative locations that host anexceptionalheritage related to biodiversity, landscapes and culturalexpressions. The quality of theseenvironmental and cultural resources placesthe Mediterranean biosphere reserves asplaces of excellence for the promotionof sustainable tourism in all its modalities, in aunique environment of twocoasts joined by their culture and nature.
Since its creation, the Unesco International Centre has established itself as acenter forthe dissemination of ideas, projects and knowledge, which acts as anincentive to promoteinterest in cultural and natural heritage, being a paradigmof sustainable heritagemanagement.
26 November 2025
•This new agreement between Abertis Foundation and the Spanish National Parks Agency (OAPN in its Spanish acronym)—a Spanish public body under the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO)—ensures the continued operation of the UNESCO-endorsed International Centre. The renewed partnership strengthens cooperation and knowledge exchange among Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves.
•The agreement aims to foster research initiatives, training programmes, pilot projects and outreach activities that advance the sustainability of Mediterranean ecosystems and enhance the resilience of biosphere reserves in the face of climate change.
•The renewal consolidates the role of the Abertis Foundation's headquarters at Castellet Castle as a leading hub for biosphere reserve activities, both within the Mediterranean region and internationally.
23 September 2025
•El congreso, que se celebra en Hangzhou (China) del 22 al 26 de septiembre, ha reunido a la Red Mundial de Reservas de la Biosfera -entre las que se incluye la MedMAB apoyada por Fundación Abertis- para consolidar prioridades, reforzar la colaboración y definir el Plan de Acción Mundial para el futuro.
