The Basque Country Community, its member municipalities, and partners have presented the sixth edition of KLIMA WEEK 2026, which will take place from October 2nd to 11th. This event will place biodiversity at the center of nearly 100 gatherings across the entire territory.
Presented by Alain Iriart, President of the Basque Country Community, Daniel Olçomendy, Vice-President for ecological and energy transition, and Lionel Sévilla, delegated councilor for Biodiversity, natural spaces, and climate change adaptation, this edition follows a summer marked by heat and drought, underscoring the growing pressure on natural resources. The collapse of biodiversity is a major global concern, with nearly one million animal and plant species threatened with extinction according to IPBES.
Biodiversity plays a crucial role in protecting soils, water quality, carbon storage, mitigating extreme climate effects, and forms the foundation of agriculture, fishing, and forestry. President Alain Iriart emphasized the remarkable natural richness of the Basque Country and the mobilization of local stakeholders for its preservation.
Klima Week aims to raise public awareness about the diversity of species and landscapes, foster understanding of ecosystem services, and introduce concrete solutions for preserving living organisms. The program includes botanical walks, site visits, workshops, film screenings, conferences, exhibitions, and shows, catering to all audiences.
The Biodiversity Strategy of the Basque Country, adopted on January 29th, 2026, serves as the roadmap for understanding, preserving, and restoring local biodiversity. The result of collective work, it identifies seven major challenges and a reinforced action plan, building on the achievements of the 2017 plan.
An initial operational program will be deployed from 2026-2027, aiming to make biodiversity a lever for resilience, quality of life, and climate change adaptation for the entire Basque Country.
