Biosphere Reserves
Launched in the early 1970s, the UNESCO Worldwide Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) now includes 701 biosphere reserves located in 124 countries, including 21 transboundary/transcontinental sites.
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Biosphere reserves exist because of the people who use and live in them. Dedication shown by the local people ensures that the uniqueness of the environment and the community are protected while maintaining healthy development of the economy and human well-being. Cooperation, education and research all take place inside biosphere reserves that allow local communities, environmental groups, and economic interests to work collaboratively on conservation and development issues. Biosphere reserves are internationally recognised, nominated by national governments and remain under sovereign jurisdiction of the states where they are located.
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Biosphere reserve zones
Under the Seville Strategy, the concept of a biosphere reserve was reformed to incorporate different zones: ‘core' protected areas for nature conservation and ‘buffer' and ‘transition' areas where people live and work in a sustainable way. Communities and local stakeholders share responsibility for the development of the region, allowing originality and locally relevant solutions to emerge. Sharing these solutions across the network to other biospheres reserves is a major strength of the MAB Programme.
Core Area(s)
UNESCO requires "a legally constituted core area or areas devoted to long term protection, according to the conservation objectives of the biosphere reserve, and of sufficient size to meet these objectives".
Buffer zone
UNESCO requires "a buffer zone or zones clearly identified and surrounding or contiguous to the core area or areas, where only activities compatible with the conservation objectives can take place..." Buffer zones can support the multiple functions of a biosphere reserve while helping to ensure the protection and natural evolution of the core area(s).
Transition areas
UNESCO requires "an outer transition area where sustainable resource management practices are promoted and developed".
Under the Seville Strategy, the concept of a biosphere reserve was reformed to incorporate different zones: ‘core' protected areas for nature conservation and ‘buffer' and ‘transition' areas where people live and work in a sustainable way. Communities and local stakeholders share responsibility for the development of the region, allowing originality and locally relevant solutions to emerge. Sharing these solutions across the network to other biospheres reserves is a major strength of the MAB Programme.
Core Area(s)
UNESCO requires "a legally constituted core area or areas devoted to long term protection, according to the conservation objectives of the biosphere reserve, and of sufficient size to meet these objectives".
Buffer zone
UNESCO requires "a buffer zone or zones clearly identified and surrounding or contiguous to the core area or areas, where only activities compatible with the conservation objectives can take place..." Buffer zones can support the multiple functions of a biosphere reserve while helping to ensure the protection and natural evolution of the core area(s).
Transition areas
UNESCO requires "an outer transition area where sustainable resource management practices are promoted and developed".
