Braunton Burrows (North Devon's) Biosphere Reserve has entered into a twinning arrangement with Malindi-Watamu Biosphere Reserve in Kenya

Braunton Burrows (North Devon’s) Biosphere Reserve has just entered into a twinning arrangement with Malindi-Watamu Biosphere Reserve in Kenya. During the first week of September 2007 the delegation from Malindi visited North Devon in the UK to experience the work and governance arrangements of this reserve.

Both reserves are coastal/marine with river basins forming the transition area and have proven to have similar issues though on a different scale. This project is being funded to develop model twinning agreements for Biosphere reserve Communities and for Schools in Biosphere Reserves to facilitate a deeper cooperation between North and South.

A website is being developed to allow potential partners to search for their counterpart as well as learn from the experience of those who have gone before. The programme and documentation will be available in December.

Specific outputs are:

• A conference for managers and key stakeholders in all Kenya Biosphere Reserves to support their operation
• Exchange visits between Kenya and the UK
• Model MoU agreements for twinning schools and/or Biosphere Reserves
• A website about the project and a partner search website
• Documentation about the project
• Brauton Burrows Biosphere Reserve
• Malindi-Watamu Biosphere Reserve

Contact: Andrew.bell@devon.gov.uk