Entire Nation Declared as UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

Often referred to as ‘the Galapagos of Africa’, the tropical archipelago of São Tomé and Príncipe has become the first entire country to be designated a single UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Credit: IUCN

A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is a designation for an area that promotes a sustainable relationship between people and their natural environment, where natural ecosystems and biodiversity are protected, and serve as models for sustainable economic and social development that harmonizes with nature.

Rising from the Gulf of Guinea, the Ilha de São Tomé Biosphere Reserve protects 436 square miles (1,130 sq. km) of volcanic peaks, rainforests, and agricultural lands, and is part of the Congo Basin forest system. This biodiversity hotspot, sheltering the endemic Obô primary tropical rainforest, is a sanctuary for unique species like the dwarf ibis and São Tomé shrew.

Its ecosystems range from coral reefs and mangrove coasts to montane cloud forests. Approximately 130,000 inhabitants maintain traditions through artisanal fishing, sustainable organic cocoa and coffee cultivation, and local markets. The reserve balances economic growth, including ecotourism, with the safeguarding of this irreplaceable natural and cultural heritage.

The announcement by UNESCO revealed 24 other new biosphere reserves across 21 countries. These new additions bring the World Network of Biosphere Reserves to 785 sites in 142 countries - bringing the total amount of UNESCO protected space to 5 percent of Earth. While São Tomé and Príncipe claimed the historic ‘first’, six other countries received their first-ever designations: Angola, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Iceland, Oman and Tajikistan.