The diversity of life on Planet Earth makes it a unique environment and it contributes to fuel its living conditions. The bioshpere, that is the whole of ecosystems where living beings thrive, matters. Since its foundation in 1971, the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme has been an intergovernmental scientific initiative addressed to promote research, knowledge exchange and peer review on three main pillars: Biodiversity Loss, Climate Change and Sustainable Development. Nature preservation, R&D innovation, economic, social and culture sustainable evolution are then on the spotlight.
To reaffirm its eco-commitment, Agatha Korczak, First Secretary of the Permanent Delegation of the Principality of Monaco to UNESCO, attended the 36th session of the International Coordinating Council (ICC) of the MAB Programme that was held in Agadir (Morocco) from the 1st to the 5th July 2024. The summit gathered 270 delegates from 72 countries led by Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO to debate on the coordination of Biosphere Reserves, more than 700 terrestrial, marine and coastal spots promoting scientific cooperation, interdisciplinary research and environmental sustainability. In particular, participants focused on dressing Action Plans to include UN objectives about biodiversity management and networks, youth participation and the advancement of scientific knowledge in the field.
Eleven new Biosphere Reserves have been established within the UNESCO international meeting, including Belgium and Gambia (Africa) and two other cross-border areas. All that represents a step forward in the global zoning able to select territories with different functions. Namely Core Areas, protected natural hubs, Buffer Zones, used to build up scientific research, monitoring, training and education, and Transition Zones, where to foster a balancd ecological transition to meet the needs of local human communities and Nature. The global Biosphere Reserves network, one of the longest-lived in history, now includes 759 sites spread in 136 countries corresponding to a surface of approximately 5% of the land of our Planet.
Since 2022, Monaco has been supporting the MAB’s Scholarship Programme for young researchers with special focus on marine, coastal and island ecosystems, within the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
This "made in Monaco" initiative was endorsed by MAB as the Prince Albert I Prize for Youth in Monaco underlining Prince's Family legacy in favouring oceanography and scientific expeditions.
The attendance of the Principality to the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme is more than ever significant considering that MAB plays an essential role. In fact, it carries out in-depth studies detecting changes in the biosphere resulting from natural and man-made activities as well as examining the dynamic interrelationship between ecosystems and socio-economic processes towards both human and nature well-being. And good practices and environmental education are integral part of the ongoing roadmap.
The next session of the MAB will be held n Hangzhou (China) at the 5th World Congress on Biosphere Reserves in September 2025. Let's wait for the next time. ***
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By Maurice Abbati
Journalist; Editor; Communication, Media and Public Relations Specialist.
Lecturer and Author in English language of Technical Articles and the Manual: "Communicating the Environment to Save the Planet, a Journey into Eco-Communication"Â by Springer International Publishing.
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