Paraná adds 13,000 hectares of new conservation units at national biodiversity conference

At the opening of the 1st National Conference of Conservation Units for Biodiversity (UCBio) in Curitiba, the Paraná state government, through the Institute Água e Terra (IAT), announced the creation of new protected areas covering about 13,000 hectares – roughly the size of Londrina municipality. Five projects have completed field inspections and are now in community‑consultation phases, with a goal to increase the number of managers and ensure all units have up‑to‑date management plans by year‑end. The state already maintains 74 units protecting around 1.2 million hectares.

Superior Court of Justice president Justice Antônio Herman Benjamin gave a keynote video address, stressing that “the first barrier against climate change is a diverse and robust system of conservation units.” He called for stronger financing, public‑private partnerships, and full implementation of normative texts to safeguard these areas. The ceremony also honored veteran conservationist Maria Tereza Jorge Pádua for her role in establishing more than 20 historic units across Brazil’s biomes.

UCBio, running from 7 to 9 June, brings together researchers, public officials, judges, NGOs and private sector representatives to discuss governance, financing, climate adaptation, and biodiversity policy for Brazil’s protected‑area network.