Biosphere reserves help curb deforestation in the Western Amazon and, taken together, have prevented the loss of more than 7,400 square kilometers of forest over the last two decades compared to similar scenarios without this protection status. This is demonstrated by a study conducted by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB), Spain, which presents the first systematic assessment of the effectiveness of Amazonian biosphere reserves in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru in deterring deforestation.

The research analyzed nearly 96,400 square kilometers across seven biosphere reserves using geospatial analysis methods. The analysis had to be carried out on a high-performance supercomputer because of the enormous computational burden involved in processing geospatial data across such a vast region. The results show that, although forest loss continues to increase throughout the Amazon region, biosphere reserves are, in general, more effective at preventing deforestation than comparable areas.

One of the study's most notable findings is that transition areas and buffer zones—areas where biodiversity conservation coexists with productive activities, rural settlements, and Indigenous territories—generally prevented more deforestation than core areas, which are subject to stricter protection. According to Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, ICTA-UAB researcher and author of the study, “this result shows that conservation does not depend solely on restricting land uses, but also on participatory governance models capable of integrating nature conservation with its sustainable use and the well-being of local communities”.

Recognized by UNESCO as “learning places for sustainable development”, biosphere reserves combine protected areas, Indigenous territories, and other inhabited areas under a single management model. Their aim is to reconcile biodiversity conservation with the well-being of the people living in these territories. There are currently 797 biosphere reserves in 145 countries, home to more than 300 million people, giving these management models the potential for global impact.
The study examined the Podocarpus–El Cóndor, Yasuní, and Sumaco Biosphere Reserves (Ecuador), Manu and Oxapampa-Asháninka-Yánesha (BIOAY) Biosphere Reserves (Peru), and Beni and Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserves (Bolivia). Among them, Yasuní stood out for having prevented the estimated loss of up to 4,745 square kilometers of forest compared to a similar scenario without this protection status, making it the biosphere reserve with the largest area of prevented deforestation among those analyzed.

“Geospatial studies at such a large scale allow us to establish baseline measures, but it is essential to contextualize this information with field-based studies. We need to understand and take into account the perspectives of local populations in order to perceive the nature and extent of the threats they face, as well as the management challenges confronting them”, says Amaia Gonzaga-Roa, researcher at the University of Helsinki and author of the study.

The findings from the Western Amazon region reinforce the importance of placing people at the center of conservation policies. In this regard, the authors emphasize that supporting the territorial rights of Indigenous Peoples (whose International Day will be observed on August 9) and promoting participatory governance models can contribute both to protecting Amazonian forests and to advancing more just, inclusive, and effective conservation strategies.

The study provides new evidence of the role that biosphere reserves can play in international conservation policies. It also calls for greater recognition of these designations as effective models for protecting biodiversity without disconnecting it from the needs and aspirations of the communities living in these territories. Their experience demonstrates that it is possible to reconcile conservation with the sustainable use of the land and offers valuable lessons for advancing the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to halt and reverse biodiversity loss at global scale.