The Abertis Foundation and the OAPN have renewed the agreement that ensures four more years of institutional support—a decisive step towards strengthening sustainability, knowledge exchange, and socio-ecological resilience across the Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves. 

To mark the International Mediterranean Day, the International Centre for the Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves celebrates the renewal of the collaboration agreement between the Abertis Foundation and the Autonomous Agency for National Parks (OAPN), a body linked to the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. This agreement guarantees the Centre’s continuity for a further four years and strengthens the shared commitment to Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves. 

The International Mediterranean Day, established in honour of the Barcelona Declaration signed on 28 November 1995, highlights the importance of cooperation among Mediterranean peoples and the need to safeguard their unique natural and cultural heritage. In this context, the renewal of the agreement reinforces the role of the International Centre for the Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves as a reference platform for research, knowledge transfer and collaboration in the Mediterranean region. 

Credit image: Saul Ciriaco 

An agreement to strengthen the resilience of Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves 

The signature, which took place on 21 November 2025, will enable the continuation of the Centre’s work, based at Castellet Castle, the headquarters of the Abertis Foundation. The agreement renews the commitment of the Government of Spainand the Abertis Foundation to the development of initiatives linked to UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, as well as to the dynamisation of the Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves Network (MedMAB). 

The agreement includes initiatives focused on: 

• Applied research and pilot projects aimed at nature conservation and climate change adaptation. 

• Training and knowledge transfer to improve the management of the territories within the network. 

• Promotion of sustainable socio-economic development in Mediterranean reserves. 

• Strengthening international cooperation, both within MedMAB and with other MAB networks (the Spanish Network, IberoMAB and EuroMAB). 

During the signing ceremony, Georgina Flamme, Director of the Abertis Foundation, emphasised that this renewal “strengthens our commitment to biosphere reserves and to sustainability in the Mediterranean and in the regions where Abertis is present”. For his part, Javier Pantoja, Director of the OAPN, underlined the value of public-private collaboration in reinforcing the MAB Programme and supporting Spain’s 28 Biosphere Reserves. 

International Centre for the Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves and the MedMAB network: a space for Mediterranean cooperation 

Since its designation as a UNESCO Category 2 Centre in 2013, the Centre has become a benchmark for the exchange of experiences and the development of tools to improve the management of Mediterranean territories. In 2023, the Centre oversaw the official recognition of the MedMAB as a UNESCO thematic network, currently comprising 72 biosphere reserves across 16 countries, and continues to serve as its technical secretariat. 

These reserves represent a mosaic of biodiversity, cultural landscapes and sustainable development models that form a unique heritage of the Mediterranean basin. The Centre works to strengthen territorial resilience, promote socio-economic and environmental innovation, and encourage sustainable management practicesand ecosystem conservation.