The Mediterranean Alliance for Wetlands has launched a campaign against the Guggenheim Museum's proposed expansion into the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve in Spain. The campaign warns that building a new museum spanning Guernica and the protected reserve would harm biodiversity, water quality, and conservation frameworks, and has gathered over 2,400 signatures on a petition urging UNESCO, the Ramsar Secretariat, and the Spanish government to intervene.
The expansion, expected to attract at least 140,000 visitors annually, has sparked debate between economic revitalization and environmental protection. While supporters argue it could boost the region's economy and culture, opponents say the project is imposed from outside, ignores local needs, and risks irreversible damage to a vital ecosystem home to migratory birds and other wildlife. The case highlights growing tensions between major cultural institutions and environmental conservation.