The meeting was opened by Dr Sergio Roig, Director of the Argentine Institute of Arid Zone Research (IADIZA), Eng. Mabel Chambuleiron, Director of the Directorate of Natural Resources of the Government of Mendoza, and Ms Graciela Píen, Director of the Coordination Unit of MAB Argentina, from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, under the slogan ‘Argentinean Biosphere Reserves for Sustainable Development’.

Dr Roig explained that ‘During the creation of the IADIZA, by Provincial Law, we were given the care of fiscal lands that were not being used and that in the 1930s had been used for the cutting of carob forests. These lands are currently the Ñacuñan Biosphere Reserve and El Divisadero field. That is to say that the Institute was born from the hand of the Reserve and the maintenance and recovery of biodiversity in the area has been the primary task of our institution’.

During the three-day event, the Lima Action Plan for the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme and its World Network of Biosphere Reserves (2016-2025) was presented, alongside the Indicator System for the National Network of Biosphere Reserves, and the current status of the country’s reserves. In addition, the participants took part in workshops, exchanged experiences and examined the achievements and challenges of each biosphere reserve.

On the last day, the participants visited the Ñacuñán Biosphere Reserve and School No. 8-366 Nuestra Señora del Carmen de Cuyo, which has included study of the Ñacuñán Biosphere Reserve as part its curriculum. Its 24 students presented the activities they carry out in pursuit of the care and conservation of the biosphere reserve. Among other things, the schoolchildren plant organic gardens and accompany the park rangers as tourist guides.

The meeting was closed with a lunch prepared by local families who cooked food in solar ovens and presented their sustainable ventures to the attendees.