The coordination of the Biosphere Reserve and the entire process of planning and management is under the responsibility of the municipality of Santana. It was precisely the Municipality who took over from the start the intention to develop and create a Biosphere Reserve and managed to gather all the necessary support around this project.
The management of the World Biosphere Reserve Santana Madeira, after deliberation of the municipal Council, focuses on so-called "Management Unit" constituted by the Municipality of Santana, by the Terra Cidade, the Director of the Natural Park of Madeira, Dr. Paulo Oliveira and the President of the order of Biologists and coordinator of the application to biosphere reserve, Dr. Domingos Abreu.
The three main functions of a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.
This Management Unit has as main objective the management of environmental aspects and socio economic development related to the extent declared by UNESCO and serves as an element that coordinates and ensures that the functions and objectives of the reserves meet. The Management Unit takes into account the three main functions of the reserve: conserving, so as to contribute to the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic variability; development, in order to contribute to economic and humane sustainability, that its socio cultural and ecologically sustainable; Logistics, in order to equip the municipality for research, monitoring, education and information exchange related to local, national and global development and conservation issues.
The Management Unit of Santana Biosphere Reserve has defined in its action plan projects aimed at the proper functioning of the buffer and the promotion of innovative activities revealing of the sustainable development. Some of the projects had already their implementation, such as: the creation of a network of biosphere reserve (Centre of Rocha do Navio); the integration of the international project "Smart Biosphere Reserve"; and the realization of education actions for guides and other agents in the area of tourism.
