MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mega biosphere reserve in Patagonia

Argentina and Chile agreed the creation in Patagonia of the first binational biosphere reserve in Latinamerica --pending UNESCO certification--, with a total area of 4.7 million hectares.

Identified as the "Andean North Patagonia Ecological Corridor" the reserve will include 2.37 million hectares on the Argentine side in a area extending from Lake Lanin to the city of Rio Pico, with a permanent population of 200.000 and 1.5 million visitors per year. The Chilean side covers 2.3 million hectares in Region X or better known as the "lakes region".

"The purpose of this binational biosphere is not only environment conservation but also promoting sustainable development in an area with a growing influx of tourism", said Anahí Perez from the Argentine National Parks Administration.

The formal signing ceremony took place over the weekend in Bariloche, Argentina with the participation of the local governments of the provinces of Chubut and Rio Negro, Argentina's National Parks Administration, the Agriculture Technology Institute and the local government of Chile's Region of the Lakes.

The future biosphere on the Argentine side is almost 800 kilometres long and covers some of the most spectacular scenery in Patagonia's lakes, forest and mountain area totalling four national parks, five provincial parks and nine forestry reserves.

"Patagonia has undergone a very strong tourism boom in the last decades and has attracted many investments which must be oriented along environment conservation and sustainable development guidelines", added Ms Perez.

According to Argentina's president of the National Parks administration Hector Espina once the territorial zoning criteria has been agreed, the project will be presented for consideration to UNESCO in March 2007, which extends the Biosphere Reserve international quality seal.

"Once UNESCO, hopefully, officially declares the project a Biosphere Reserve it will give the region a quality touch helping to achieve a proper balance between human development and the environment making a rational use of natural and cultural resources", underlined Mr. Espina.