The UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme has decided to relaunch the World Network of Mountain Biosphere Reserves to involve all actors working in mountain biosphere reserves, including a collaboration with the MRI to support the needs of this network in the short-medium to long-term. Parties interested in participating in this network are invited to complete a short survey to support the effective development of the network's structure.
UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme is an intergovernmental scientific programme that aims to establish a scientific basis for enhancing the relationship between people and their environments. It combines the natural and social sciences with a view to improving human livelihoods and safeguarding natural and managed ecosystems, thus promoting innovative approaches to economic development that are socially and culturally appropriate and environmentally sustainable.
MAB is anchored on the ground through its World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR), which comprises 714 biosphere reserves in 129 countries, including 21 transboundary sites. Nearly 500 of these biosphere reserves are located in mountain ecosystems.
The MAB Programme recognizes the critical value of mountains for their ecosystem services to humanity and their fragility in the face of global change and climate.
Therefore, the MAB Programme has decided to relaunch the World Network of Mountain Biosphere Reserves to involve all actors working in mountain biosphere reserves, including biosphere reserve managers/coordinators, mountain specialists, universities, research centres, local communities, UN agencies and programmes, associations, and NGO’s.
The goal of the network is to:
- Increase the scientific knowledge of the managers/coordinators of mountain biosphere reserves, to improve the management of their sites.
- Facilitate exchange of scientific and local/indigenous knowledge between scientists and local communities in mountain biosphere reserves.
- Improve knowledge exchange among scientists and policymakers in order to make science-based decisions and facilitate adaptive governance relating to mountain biosphere reserves.
- Improve research FOR and WITH mountain biosphere reserves, rather than ON these biosphere reserves through, for example, agreements between the management committees of these biosphere reserves and research institutions/scientists in order to ensure that these recognize the biosphere reserves as a project partner and align their research plans in order to undertake research work in the biosphere reserve.
To participate in World Network of Mountain Biosphere Reserves, please complete this short survey. This will allow the MAB Programme to get to know you better and therefore be able to better structure the network.
