Phase 1: Preparation
Key Considerations
To establish a Nordic UNESCO biosphere reserve requires a thorough process and preparation based on collaboration between authorities, local communities, organizations, and stakeholders. The MAB programme sets the frame and conditions for biosphere areas and promotes sustainable development through an integrated approach to conserving biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources.
Establishing a UNESCO biosphere reserve can be done in different ways. In the past, it was often based on top-down initiatives taken by ministries of environment and research institutions. However, more and more biosphere reserves have been initiated through local and bottom-up approaches. This is especially the case in the Nordic countries. This approach is often based on a collaborative, bottom-up approach, strong local ownership, and clear communication. Learning from existing reserves, involving various stakeholders, and aligning with global agreements like the UNFCCC (Climate) and CBD (Biodiversity) can guide the process effectively.
Getting Started
This guide emphasizes the importance of local support, clear vision, and understanding among communities and key stakeholders. Numerous meetings are essential to create ownership, provide information, ensure involvement, and foster real co-creation. It emphasizes the importance of a common strategy or management plan, involving stakeholders in the process, and defining the zonation from an early stage.
Understand UNESCO's MAB Programme
Learn about UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme and the overall goals for biosphere reserves. Understand the principles of sustainable development and the importance of integrated management.
All UNESCO Biosphere Reserves must fulfil three basic, equal and mutually complementary functions:
- Conservation – conservation of natural and bio-cultural diversity
- Development – support for sustainable economic and social development and cultural diversity
- Logistic support – support and promotion of model projects, training and education for sustainable development, research and monitoring linked to nature conservation and sustainable development at the local level, while considering national and global scales.
Stakeholder needs should be addressed while fulfilling all three functions.
Visiting existing Biosphere Reserves
A strong aspect of the MAB Programme and its world network is the focus on sharing experiences and cooperation. Therefore, visiting existing biosphere reserves does not only provide insights into possibilities and limitations and help participants form visions for their own areas, it also allows very important networking and exchanges. It is therefore an overall recommendation to visit existing biosphere reserves to understand their experiences and challenges and to create cooperation. These field trips should lead to better understanding and specific examples of zonation, strategies, management, and other aspects. A list of biosphere reserves can be found here: https://en.unesco.org/biosphere/wnbr
Get involved in networking
The MAB Programme and its networks include many networking and collaboration opportunities and offers a great number of sources, organisations and persons that can be of great help. In this regard it can be advantage to get acquainted with the UNESCO MAB secretariat in Paris, the EURO MAB network and the more informal NORD MAB network including the Nordic Countries, Canada and Estonia.
Criteria for Establishing UNESCO Biosphere Reserves
The official guidelines detail considerations preceding nomination, including local support, location significance, governance effectiveness, diverse funding sources, and the three fundamental functions of biosphere reserves. Read more in the official guidelines about all the criteria for establishing a UNESCO Biosphere reserve: Technical Guidelines for UNESCO Biosphere Reserves
In brief the general criteria for an area to be qualified for designation as a Biosphere Reserve is:
- It should encompass a mosaic of ecological systems representative of major biogeographic regions, including a gradation of human interventions.
- It should be of significance for biological diversity conservation.
- It should provide an opportunity to explore and demonstrate approaches to sustainable development on a regional scale.
- It should have an appropriate size to serve the three functions of Biosphere Reserves, as set out in Article 3 in the guidelines.
- It should include these functions, through appropriate zonation, recognizing:
- 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.
- 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;
- an outer transition area where sustainable resource management practices are promoted and developed.
- Organizational arrangements should be provided for the involvement and participation of a suitable range of inter alia public authorities, local communities and private interests in the design and carrying out the functions of a biosphere reserve.
- In addition, provisions should be made for:
- mechanisms to manage human use and activities in the buffer zone or zones;
- a management policy or plan for the area as a biosphere reserve;
- a designated authority or mechanism to implement this policy or plan;
- programmes for research, monitoring, education, and training.