Over 60 % of the world's people live within 60 kilometres of the sea. Coastal and marine environment is strongly influenced by human activities, via local pressure or climate change. Yet ecosystems of coastal areas, small islands and mangroves have a crucial value.

UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme activities span protection, scientific research and human use:

• Coastal marine biosphere reserves : reference sites for monitoring and managing coastal and marine biodiversity by:
  • observing and measuring human impacts on the coastal/marine habitats
  • developing more rigorous and innovative guidelines for their conservation and sustainable management
• Integrated Biodiversity Strategies for Islands and Coastal Areas (IBSICA) project (1996-2002) was implemented by UNESCO's Division of Ecological Sciences and by the Government of Germany (Ministry for Economic Co-operation, BMZ). It notably focused on:
  • improving living conditions for the inhabitants of biosphere reserves in islands and/or coastal zones, with special attention to rational use of biodiversity
  • strengthening and increasing capacities for carrying out management, research and training in the islands and coastal zones
  • establishing REDBIOS, a network between existing island biosphere reserves
  • encouraging new biosphere reserves on islands and/or coastal zones
• ASPACO : Asia-Pacific Co-operation for the Sustainable Use of Renewable Natural Resources in Biosphere Reserves and Similar Managed Areas with focus on:
  • assisting UNESCO Member States in implementing the recommendations of the World Conference on Science (1999) 
  • identifying national strategies for biodiversity protection with special emphasis on coastal areas, small islands and mangroves
  • South-South technology transfer and intensive training for the management of renewable natural resources
• Regional seas partnership on marine and coastal protected areas: this UNESCO-UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) Regional Seas- CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) - Partnership on Marine and Coastal Protected Areas is designed to coordinate information related to marine and coastal protected areas in United Nations and other international processes. The aim is to contribute to establishing representative networks of marine protected areas by 2012, as agreed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
• UNESCO’s Ecosystem-based Marine Spatial Management Initiative  helps countries operationalize ecosystem-based management by finding space for biodiversity conservation and sustainable economic development in marine environments.