The Mediterranean Alliance for Wetlands launched a campaign to protect the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve from an extension of the Guggenheim Museum, which has been trying to expand its Bilbao outpost.
“A planned extension of the Guggenheim Museum into the Special Area of Conservation of the Biosphere Reserve risks undermining biodiversity, water quality, and the integrity of conservation frameworks,” a social media post explains of the situation as “77 organisations warn UNESCO, Ramsar Secretariat and the Spanish government about the irreversible consequences of this expansion on biodiversity and water resources.”
Linked to the post is a petition that has been signed by some 2,400 people and counting as of the time of this post.
“It is a project that has been imposed from outside, that does not respond to the needs of the inhabitants of the area and is intended to benefit only a few people. Nor is it related to the conservation, social and economic objectives of the reserve, which would be significantly and irreversibly affected,” the petition argues.
The proposed museum is slated to span the town of Guernica and the Urdaibai reserve. It is expected to bring in at least 140,000 visitors annually.
It has been the topic of debate since it was initially proposed because its development could help revitalize the region economically and culturally, but stands to cause a tremendous amount of damage to the protected natural area in the process. With increase tourism, however, comes potential new infrastructure that could derail the biosphere reserve’s protected status and stands to completely disrupt the reserve’s ecosystem, which is home to a plethora of wildlife including migratory birds.
