Besides, it is the area that contains more protected areas in character of centers for its future managing. We find in this area the national parks of Calilegua (Jujuy) and Baritu (Salta), the Provincial Park Laguna Pintascayo (department of Oran - Salta) and two more areas in the creation process inside the Salta territory, being one of the in private lands.

There is a big component of rural and aborigens populatons in this territory that maintain a close relationship with the natural resources.

The reserve has another advantage : UNESCO has not given yet the category of biosphere reserve to any forest ecosystem of Yungas. This declaration does not imply the direct arrival of conservation resources for this area, but it is a fundamental step that expedite the attainment of financing.

FEATURES:

The area of the Yungas is, together with the Misiones Rainforest, the richest place on genetics. This area is vital to provide water in the region, offers a landscape resource, has a great cultural diversity and harbours one of the last populations of jaguars in the country.

The protection of the Yungas offers a series of benefits, as the economic development, cultural and social in the locality, maintaining the natural resources for future generations.

It allows the conservation of landscape diversity, ecosystems, species and genes found there, and at the same time is contributing to the knowledge with the support on education, training, scientific investigation and the mutual interchange of information between the population, technicians and scientific professionals.


WHAT IS A BIOSPHERE RESERVE?

It is a representative area of land or aquatic environment that, because of its importance can contribute to the sustainable development, not only for the conservation but also for the supply of knowledge and human values.

It is created to promote a balanced relationship between the human beings and nature.

It is recognized all over the world in the program " Man and Biosphere" (MAB) from the UNESCO, and it is constituted by a worldwide net with 245 reserves in 95 contries.


WHY A BIOSPHERE RESERVE IN THE YUNGAS?

Because it can improve the life quality in the communities, offer technical alternatives for the appropriate management of the natural resources, create a model of participation, present economic alternatives and help to the acknowledgement of values and needs of each culture in the region.

It can help solve threats like fragmentation of the natural landscape, the impoverishment and loss of the original forest, the reduction and loss of wildlife, and pollution.

It can help decrease the damage produced by the misuse of natural resources, for example the forestal activities, the deforestation and the unplanned cattle, without analysis of impact; the exploitation of hydrocarbon and the mega-projects of infrastructure without the proper mesures of mitigation.


WHAT IS THE PROPER ORDER OF ACTIVITIES INSIDE THE RESERVES?

1) Centre areas:

- Legally protected
- Ensure the landscape protection, the ecosystems and the species contained in them permanently.
- Investigation, turism, recreation.

2) Absorbing areas:

- Surrounding the Centre areas, support their protection
- They are used for experimental investigation of ways of managing the natural vegetation, farm lands, fishing, to improve of production and at the same time for conservation of the natural processes and resources.
- Rehabilitation of abused / destroyed areas
- Turism, recreation, education. 

3) Transition areas:

- Human settlements.


WHY DO WE NEED THEM?

- To learn about the natural systems of the Yungas, how they are changing, and about the traditional uses: it is important to know how the natural systems are transformed according to the type of utility they are subject to.

- To learn and respect the concerns, needs and projects of local populations.

- To share knowledge about the sustainable steps of natural resources.

- To cooperate in the solution of problems from the use of the resources.

- For the conservation of the biodiversity and to keep healthy ecosystems : the human pressure without plannification on plants, animals, land and water, put in danger the biodiversity and the environmental quality, needed for life.


WHO DO BENEFIT?

THE ENTIRE SOCIETY : the local communities, aborigens, rural populations, land owners, because their territories can incorporate to a management that allows to protect the land and water as basic resources, and at the same time shares handling technics to improve their profits and their quality of life.

ALSO THE POPULATIONS IN THE REGION IN GENERAL, who benefit with the water coming from the mountains, and also by other environmental services.



INSTITUTIONAL FRAM OF THE RESERVE

The designation of the Biosphere Reserve do not change national and provincial jurisdictions, minicipalities, nor existing private jurisdictions.

In order to start a shared effort, the administrative authority for the Biosphere Reserve will be the Department of Environment and Sustainable Development of Salta, and it will act in behalf of the Executive Commission integrated by the Administrative Authorities of the three jurisdictions ( Salta, Jujuy, and the National Parks Administration), representing a Directive Committee integrated by representatives of the different actors involved. It will be also an Assessor Committee. This diagram will be reglamented, in a frame of participation and regulation.


PARTICIPATING ENTITIES

- Yaguarete Team - Salta
- Greenpeace Argentina
- National University of Salta
- National University of Jujuy
- Greographic Institute of the University of Buenos Aires
- National Parks Administration (in Salta)
- Department of Environmental Issues of Salta
- Department of Environment and Production of Jujuy
- Pro-Yungas Foundation (Laboratory of Ecological Investigations of the Yungas, in Tucuman)