Where protected nature coexists with the people who live and work there
Period
2015
In June 2015 UNESCO recognised the Po Delta as a Biosphere Reserve under its MAB programme, «Man and the Biosphere». It is not an area to be fenced off: the recognition rewards territories able to combine nature conservation with sustainable development.
The reserve spans Veneto and Emilia-Romagna, the provinces of Rovigo and Ferrara, over about 140,000 hectares. 10% are «core» areas, the most valuable; 40% buffer zones; the remaining 50% transition areas, where people live and work. About 118,000 people live here, alongside more than 350 species of birds.
On the Polesine side, the heart is the Parco regionale veneto del Delta del Po, established in 1997, which covers nine municipalities, from Rosolina to Porto Tolle. Its headquarters are in Ariano nel Polesine.
