Biosphere Reserves are designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Biosphere reserves are ‘learning places for sustainable development. They are sites for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems, including conflict prevention and management of biodiversity. They are places that provide local solutions to global challenges.
Biosphere Reserves involve local communities and all interested stakeholders in planning and management. They integrate three main "functions":
- Conservation of biodiversity and cultural diversity.
- Economic development that is socio-culturally and environmentally sustainable.
- Logistic support, underpinning development through research, monitoring, education and training.
These three functions are pursued through the Biosphere Reserves' three main zones.
Core Area – is a strictly protected zone that contributes to the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic variation.
Buffer Zones - surrounds or adjoins the core area(s), and is used for activities compatible with sound ecological practices that can reinforce scientific research, monitoring, training and education.
Transition Area - The transition area is where communities foster socio-culturally and ecologically sustainable economic and human activities.
There are 714 UNESCO Biosphere Reserves worldwide and only 2 in Ireland. Follow this link to find out about Irelands only other Biosphere Reserve ‘The Dublin Bay Biosphere’.
www.dublinbaybiosphere.ie
For more information about Biosphere Reserves and the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme check out the UNESCO website.
https://en.unesco.org/biosphere
