Spain reaffirms its commitment to consolidate the Natura 2000 Network, the largest network of protected areas in the world, as the main tool for the conservation of biodiversity in Europe, improving its management, promoting sustainable economic activities compatible with the conservation of its ecological values “and highlighting its multiple benefits to society as a whole”.
Spain reaffirms its commitment to consolidate the Natura 2000 Network, the largest network of protected areas in the world, as the main tool for the conservation of biodiversity in Europe, improving its management, promoting sustainable economic activities compatible with the conservation of its ecological values “and highlighting its multiple benefits to society as a whole”.
This was stated by the director of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), Elena Pita, during her participation as a representative of the ministry in the conference 30 years of the Natura 2000 Network, which is being held in Strasbourg this Thursday and Friday, within the framework of the French presidency of the Council of the European Union.
This commemorative event has served to ratify the incalculable value of the most extensive and complex network of protected areas in the world, the Natura 2000 Network, which with nearly 27,000 spaces ensures the long-term survival of the most vulnerable species and habitats in Europe, and contributes to halting the loss of biodiversity.
During his speech, Pita highlighted the work of our country in recent years to “safeguard, conserve and recover biodiversity, reinforcing the important role of the Natura 2000 Network”. As a result of this work, and thanks to its ecological wealth, Spain is one of the countries that contributes the most to the Natura 2000 Network with 27% of its surface, which represents a fifth of the total European terrestrial network. At sea, it is more than 84,300 km2, around 8% of the maritime waters under Spanish sovereignty or jurisdiction.
In addition, our country is home to 56% of the birds included in the Birds Directive and 32% of the taxa included in the Habitats Directive and 56% of the habitat types of Community interest are present in Spain, including posidonia meadows, saline steppes, coastal lagoons and alpine meadows.
REDOUBLING EFFORTS
Despite the achievements made in the last thirty years, the loss of biodiversity is one of the greatest threats to European ecosystems. Faced with this scenario, the countries participating in the conference have agreed on the need to redouble efforts to reverse this situation.
Among the main challenges, Spain has committed to continue making progress in the protection and effective management of at least 30% of our land and sea surface by 2030, which contributes to protecting biodiversity and addressing the effects of climate change.
To this end, MITECO is also strengthening the knowledge base of species and habitats with various actions, such as the development of a Biodiversity and Science Strategy to align research priorities with biodiversity management needs.
Our country’s commitments also include improving governance and social participation in the Natura 2000 Network, as well as training. The Government is making progress on these priorities, through projects such as LIFE INTEMARES. Along these lines, Spain will also strengthen financing mechanisms to respond to the needs of the Natura 2000 Network through the integration of funds for the conservation of marine biodiversity.
Also in the marine field, this year the Master Plan for the Network of Marine Protected Areas in Spain will be approved, which, in addition to including the common criteria necessary for the coordinated and coherent management of the network, serves as a meeting point for managers of these areas and civil society.
In order to improve governance, the Demographic MITECO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, has promoted a system of recognition of the sustainability of nature tourism to promote the sustainable development and management of tourism activities in these spaces.
Restoring degraded spaces, with special attention to wetlands and marine habitats, is another of the priorities of the Government of Spain, as reflected in the objectives set out in the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, as they are vital actions to improve the conservation status of habitats and species that are in an unfavourable state of conservation and to mitigate and promote adaptation to climate change.
