|
What is a Biosphere Reserve?
Biosphere reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems
promoting solutions to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity
with its sustainable use. They are internationally recognized, nominated
by national governments and remain under sovereign jurisdiction
of the states where they are located. Biosphere reserves serve in
some ways as 'living laboratories' for testing out and demonstrating
integrated management of land, water and biodiversity. Collectively,
biosphere reserves form a World Network. Within this network, exchanges
of information, experience and personnel are facilitated. There
are over 480 biosphere reserves in over 100 countries.
Read more:
How did the biosphere reserve concept start?
The origin of Biosphere Reserves goes back to the "Biosphere Conference"
organized by UNESCO in 1968. This was the 1st intergovernmental
conference examining how to reconcile the conservation and use of
natural resources, thereby foreshadowing the present-day notion
of sustainable development. This Conference resulted in the launching
of the UNESCO "Man and the Biosphere" (MAB) Programme in 1970. One
of the original MAB projects consisted in establishing a coordinated
World Network of sites representing the main ecosystems of the planet
in which genetic resources would be protected, and where research
on ecosystems as well as monitoring and training work could be carried
out. These sites were named as "Biosphere Reserves", in reference
to the MAB programme itself.
What are the functions of biosphere
reserves?
Each biosphere reserve is intended to fulfil 3 basic functions,
which are complementary and mutually reinforcing:
- a conservation function - to contribute to the conservation
of landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic variation;
- a development function - to foster economic and human development
which is socio-culturally and ecologically sustainable;
- a logistic function - to provide support for research, monitoring,
education and information exchange related to local, national
and global issues of conservation and development.
Click here to download
a schematic diagram of the three functions.
What are the biosphere reserve zones?
Biosphere reserves are organized into 3 interrelated zones:
- the core area
- the buffer zone
- the transition area
Only the core area requires legal protection and hence can correspond
to an existing protected area such as nature reserve or a national
park. This zonation scheme is applied in many different ways in
the real world to accommodate geographical conditions, socio-cultural
settings, available legal protection measures and local constraints.
This flexibility can be used creatively and is one of the strongest
points of the biosphere reserve concept, facilitating the integration
of protected areas into the wider landscape.
Read more: download a schematic
diagram of the three zones (PDF format).
What are the benefits of biosphere reserves?
The biosphere reserve concept can be used as a framework to guide
and reinforce projects to enhance people's livelihoods and ensure
environmental sustainability. UNESCO recognition can serve to highlight
and reward such individual efforts. Designation of a site as a biosphere
reserve can raise awareness among local people, citizens and government
authorities on environmental and development issues. It can help
attract additional funding from different sources. At the national
level, biosphere reserves can serve as pilot sites or "learning
places" to explore and demonstrate approaches to conservation and
sustainable development, providing lessons which can be applied
elsewhere. In addition, they are a concrete means for countries
to implement Agenda 21, the Convention
on Biological Diversity (for example the Ecosystem Approach),
many Millennium Development
Goals (for example on environmental sustainability), and the
UN
Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. In the case
of large natural areas which straddle national boundaries, transboundary
biosphere reserves can be established jointly by the countries concerned,
testifying to long term cooperative efforts.
Read more: download special recommendations
for transboundary biosphere reserves (PDF format)
Who is in charge?
UNESCO does not require any change in law or ownership: each biosphere
reserve has its own system of governance to ensure its meets its
functions and objectives. The management system of a biosphere reserve
needs to be open, evolving and adaptive in order for the local community
to better respond to external political, economic and social pressures,
which would affect the ecological and cultural values of the area.
Hence it is necessary to set up an appropriate governance mechanism,
for instance a committee or board, to plan and co-ordinate all the
activities of all the actors concerned, each within their own mandate
and competence. Usually a biosphere reserve coordinator is named
as the contact person for all matters dealing with the biosphere
reserve.
Who pays?
Everyone. The level of funding depends on the nature and extent
of the projects and activities undertaken. Often, additional funding
is not needed: existing budgets can be aligned to meet shared goals.
Industry, tour operators, charitable foundations, research funding
agencies, governments, local municipalities can all help. Continual
support from government - even if only moral and technical - ensures
good connections with national policy and international efforts
related to sustainable development. UNESCO can provide advice and
occasionally seed funds to initiate local efforts; these can help
broker projects or to set up durable financial mechanisms.
What is the difference between a biosphere
reserve and a natural World Heritage site?
- A biosphere reserve is a representative ecological area with
3 mutually reinforcing functions: conservation, sustainable development
and logistic support for scientific research and education. Collectively,
all biosphere reserves form a World Network linked by exchanges
of experience and knowledge. They are part of a UNESCO scientific
programme, governed by a "soft law", the Statutory Framework.
- Natural World Heritage sites must be of outstanding universal
value in accordance with the UNESCO Convention on the Protection
of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972). Efforts to
enhance local development and to promote scientific understanding
are means to ensure the protection of the natural World Heritage
values.
In some instances, a core area of a biosphere reserve can meet
World Heritage criteria: the usually larger biosphere reserve can
therefore serve as a complementary means to protect the integrity
of the World Heritage site.
Can a biosphere reserve be "de-designated"?
The Statutory Framework makes provision for a periodic review every
10 years. These reports are prepared by the concerned authority,
and forwarded to the UNESCO Secretariat. The reports are examined
according to a set procedure. In the event that a site designated
as a biosphere reserve does not satisfy the criteria, after a reasonable
period of time the area will no longer be referred to as a biosphere
reserve of the World Network. To date, this procedure has never
reached this conclusion: however several counties have voluntarily
withdrawn "non-functional" sites and this has been commended by
the MAB International Coordination Council.
How does UNESCO ensure that biosphere reserves
function properly?
Biosphere reserves are not the object of a binding international
convention or treaty but are governed by a "soft law" -- the Statutory
Framework for Biosphere Reserves -- adopted by the UNESCO General
Conference and which all countries are committed to apply. In consequence,
the UNESCO Secretariat does not have a "police function" and it
is the responsibility of each country, through its MAB National
Committee or Focal Point, to ensure that the biosphere reserves
respond to the criteria and function properly. For this, in most
countries it is not necessary to enact special national legislation
for biosphere reserves but rather to use the existing legal frameworks
for nature protection and land/water management. This being said,
an increasing number of countries are now giving biosphere reserves
a special legal status in order to reinforce their application.
In the case of a perceived problem, e.g. plans to construct an oil
refinery within the site, the biosphere reserve status should be
used as a platform for dialogue to arrive at an optimal solution.
The MAB Secretariat will remind the concerned MAB National Committee/Focal
Point of its responsibility in such cases.
How do I get involved?
|
Print
Version 
Contact