fevereiro, 03 2026
By WWF-Brazil and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change
The Abrolhos Marine National Park may be the newest Natural World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). On Thursday, January 29, the Government of Brazil delivered the application dossier, which was prepared in partnership with WWF-Brazil and the Government of Bahia, in a coordinated manner by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA), the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), responsible for managing the unit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE) and support from the Brazilian Fund for Biodiversity (FUNBIO).
"The Abrolhos region is a strategic landscape for WWF-Brazil and participating in this application is the consolidation of a project to enhance one of the most important Marine Protected Areas in Brazil. Abrolhos deserves this recognition for its rich biodiversity and for the population that lives in this territory and decisively contributes to its conservation," said Marina Corrêa, leader of the Ocean agenda at WWF-Brazil.
The Natural World Heritage Site title is awarded to places with high cultural or natural value. Brazil already has nine recognized sites, such as Atlantic Forest reserves and conservation areas in the Pantanal. This measure is important because, in addition to recognizing the full importance of the region's socio-biodiversity, it also sets a precedent for new investments in the protection and restoration of degraded areas.
The Abrolhos Region, with about 6,180,000 hectares, has a unique biodiversity in the South Atlantic. It is home to a large number of marine species and important traditional communities such as riverine populations, quilombolas and artisanal fishermen.
“This international recognition will have positive impacts on the lives of the communities in the Abrolhos region, from strengthening awareness of the importance of conservation and protection of this unique territory, to attracting visitors and tourists committed to regeneration and responsible socio-environmental experiences. It is an opportunity to further enhance the beauty, biodiversity and way of life that make the Abrolhos Marine National Park a heritage site for Brazil and the world," said Danieli Nobre, Senior Conservation Analyst at WWF-Brazil and resident of the region where the Abrolhos Marine National Park is located.
Despite its importance, the region's socio-biodiversity is highly threatened and lives under constant pressure from mining, overfishing, uncontrolled tourism, oil and gas exploration threats and climate change.
One of the most relevant characteristics of the region is its unique coral environments, which together form the largest reefs in Brazil, in addition to being the largest humpback whale nursery in the entire South Atlantic. If accepted as Natural World Heritage Site, the Abrolhos Marine National Park will have greater global recognition, with the expectation that local species and their guardians will have greater attention and protection against threats to the territory.
