BiosphereSMART Proyect
The International Coordinating Council of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB), meeting in Paris from 9 to 13 July, has added 20 new sites, including two transboundary, to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).
In broadly highlighting the importance of the work of regional, sub-regional, national and thematic networks of MAB and biosphere reserves, the UNESCO´s Secretary highlighted the significance of the new interregional network on Coastal Zone and Island Biopshere Reserve and its potential for contributions towards several UNESCO and UN-wide themes such as climate change, Small Islands Developing States, and others. He invited the Council’s advice to find ways and means to strengthen staff and financial resources for this global network in the current difficult financial situation within UNESCO. He described the re-activation of the work of the Urban Ecosystem Network under the Urban Futures initiative which has already generated a specific partnership with the CHIC Corporation of China worth US$ 2 millionand has attracted the interest of European Union’s Covenant of Mayors and related initiatives. The Secretary noted that the combination of coastal, island and urban ecosystem networking initiatives also have importance for using biosphere reserves as places for promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy driven development alternatives. He noted that the Canary Islands Biosphere Reserves in Spain are promoting a “Biosphere Smart” initiative to share experience and lessons in using biosphere reserves in green economic development.
Link to see the final report of International Co-ordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme (Twenty-fourth session)
http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/SC/pdf/SC-12-CONF-224.Corr_en.pdf
