The Government of the Azores approved on Thursday the regulations for the “Azores Biosphere” brand, the manual of procedures and the declaration form, which were published in the Official Journal.

With these measures, the Regional Secretary for the Environment and the Sea, Álamo Meneses, aims to regulate the “Azores Biosphere” brand in order to highlight the distinctive features of the Azores, such as biodiversity and geodiversity of excellence, tranquillity and untouched nature, maritime life, diversity of islands and landscapes, and local products.

Hence, this “Brand” will enhance the attractiveness of the product “nature tourism” and of the Azores destination as well, contributing to the implementation of a strategy intended to promote the sustainable development of this tourist destination.

Álamo Meneses believes that “the Azores are a unique reality of natural beauty and environmental preservation” which is demonstrated by the recent distinction of the islands of Corvo, Flores and Graciosa as “Biosphere Reserves” as well as by the prominence given to this destination by various experts in nature tourism. 

With the management of Biosphere Reserves, the Regional Secretary for the Environment and the Sea intends to have “a development model based on the preservation of the environmental and cultural heritages.”  These areas will be managed by the Island Natural Park, the management base unit of the Regional Network of Protected Areas of the Azores.

Biosphere Reserves are classified under the natural heritage conservation and management programme established by UNESCO in 1971, designated as Man & Biosphere (MAB), and they are chosen taking into account scientific criteria that go beyond protection purposes as they are intended to develop a management model by joining local governments and institutions.