A biosphere reserve is a protected area established to conserve biodiversity, promote sustainable development, and support research, education, and the well-being of local communities. Created under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, these reserves serve as model regions where the relationship between people and nature is carefully managed and studied.
Purpose: Biosphere reserves aim to integrate ecosystem conservation with human development. They provide a framework for balancing the protection of biodiversity with economic, cultural, and social needs.
Each biosphere reserve is organized into three interconnected zones, each with a distinct role:
Biosphere reserves are often described as "learning places for sustainable development." They serve as testing grounds for interdisciplinary approaches that address interactions between social and ecological systems, including conflict prevention and biodiversity management. By encouraging sustainable use of natural resources—such as responsible fishing, forestry, and agriculture—biosphere reserves help ensure that development proceeds without compromising ecosystem health.
These reserves may include terrestrial, marine, and coastal ecosystems, and each site contributes local solutions to global environmental challenges.
UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) coordinates a world network of over 500 Biosphere Reserves in 105 countries. These are sites recognized under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme, which innovate and demonstrate approaches to conservation and sustainable development.
World Biosphere Reserves are places where conservation, research and development successfully interconnect. They integrate biological and cultural diversity, combining core protected areas with zones where sustainable development – and innovative approaches to it – are fostered, tested and developed by locals and enterprises alike.
Biosphere reserves are proposed by national governments and reviewed under the MAB designation process. Final approval is given by the Director-General of UNESCO based on recommendations from the MAB International Coordinating Council (MAB-ICC). Once designated, they form part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, an internationally recognized collection of sites committed to advancing sustainable development worldwide.