Portugal has 12 Biosphere Reserves, as designated by the UNESCO The Man and the Biosphere (MaB) Program. The book outlines the creation of the MaB Programme, the history of the National MaB Committee, and the history of each of Portugal’s Biosphere Reserves. This book is the result of research carried out in archives and libraries, critical analysis of the documentation provided by the Reserves, research gathered in various local, regional, and national media outlets, information collected during the development of the project, and, most notably, a set of 212 oral interviews with officials, technicians, and individuals from the communities that make up the 12 Biosphere Reserves in Portugal.

The interviews were organized, edited, and indexed through the digital platform Memória para Todos – www.memoriaparatodos.pt – and are available on the Biosphere Reserves portal – www.reservasdabiosfera.pt. The testimonies provided were essential not only for a deeper understanding of the territories, their economic and sociocultural dynamics, the application processes, or how the status and condition of a Biosphere Reserve has been experienced or even appropriated in each territory.