Today we celebrate the European Day of the Natura 2000 Network. A date that aimsto reclaim the role of the Natura Network as a tool for the conservation of natural heritage and an element of sustainable development.
The Natura 2000 Network is a network of biodiversity conservation areas in the European Union. Spain is the richest country in biodiversity in the entire European Union and the one that contributes the most area to the terrestrial Natura 2000 Network in Europe: in total, 27.2% of our terrestrial territory is included in the Network, contributing 17.5% of all the land area included in the Network throughout the European Union. This protection of our terrestrial biodiversity has increased significantly in recent years, since since 2012 a total of 49 Special Protection Areas for Birds have been declared and 18 new Sites of Community Interest have been proposed.
The environmental strength of our country is supported by the figures. Spain is home to 56% of the birds included in the Birds Directive, 51% of the Habitats and 32% of the remaining species in the annexes to the Habitats Directive.
In addition, Spain has gone from having 1% of the marine area protected to more than 8% with more than 84,322 square kilometres thanks to the INDEMARES project, which was coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment and ended in 2014. We hope to reach 12% in this legislature, which places us at the forefront of the marine contribution to the Natura 2000 Network.
The Network of National Parks of Spain, which has 15 parks, is also another of the riches of terrestrial biodiversity of our Natura 2000 Network, since all the National Parks are part of it.
Do you want to know some of our projects at RN2000?
The Biodiversity Foundation supports several conservation projects that are developed within the scope of the Natura 2000 Network through its call for grants. If you want to know them click here. And thanks to the LIFE INTEMARES project, we hope to achieve a consolidated network of marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network, increasing the number of marine protected areas.
