Lanzarote World Biosphere Reserve



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	Lanzarote has been declared a World Biosphere Reserve But what exactly is a "World Biosphere Reserve" ?
	When I first heard this expression, I had no idea what it meant. These notes are intended to help those people who may be in the same position that I was in. The notes have been condensed from those to be found on UNESCO's web site. A visit to that site is recommended to gain a proper understanding of what is involved.

What Are Biosphere Reserves?

They are areas which come within the framework of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme developed by the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

The reserves are nominated by national governments and must meet certain criteria and adhere to certain conditions before being admitted into the World Network. Each Biosphere Reserve is intended to fulfil three basic functions:

a conservation function - to contribute to the conservation of our heritage;
a development function - to foster sustainable economic and human development;
a logistic function - to provide support for research, monitoring, education and information exchange related to the above.

The individual Biosphere Reserves remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of the countries in which they are situated.

Origins Of Biosphere Reserves

Biosphere Reserves are designed to meet the most challenging issues that the world is facing today - those of:

conserving the diversity of our planet while, at the same time, meeting the material needs and aspirations of an increasing number of people.
reconciling conservation of resources with their sustainable use.

There are many matters concerning the world's environment and development prospects in the forthcoming years which give rise to concern.

These matters cannot be addressed by countries on their own.

In 1968, UNESCO held a conference entitled 'Conservation and Rational Use of the Biosphere' to examine these issues. That conference gave rise to the launching of the programme called:

"Man and the Biosphere (MAB)" .

The Biosphere Reserve concept was a key component for achieving MAB's objective to strike a balance between the apparently conflicting goals of conserving biodiversity, promoting economic and social development and maintaining associated cultural values.

In 1992, in Rio de Janeiro, a UN conference brought these issues to the attention of the world's leaders.

Conventions on Biological Diversity, Climate Change and Desertification were agreed upon to show the way forward towards what is now termed sustainable development - incorporating care of the environment, living from the interests of the land without depleting its capital, with greater social equity, including respect for rural communities and their accumulated wisdom.

It was felt that the global community needed working examples that encapsulated the ideas of the Rio Conference.

In 1995, the International Conference on Biosphere Reserves, held in Spain, confirmed that Biosphere Reserves offer such examples.

Biosphere Reserves therefore have a new role to play at the global level. Not only will they be a means for the people who live and work within them to attain a balanced relationship with the natural world, they will also explore how to meet the needs of society, as a whole, by showing the way to a more sustainable future.

Why Do We Need Biosphere Reserves?

To conserve diversity.
Human pressures on land and water resources are drastically reducing the diversity of our planet. This threatens human welfare, since this diversity is the potential source of foods, fibres, medicines, and raw material for industry and building. The Biosphere Reserves help to safeguard the diversity of the world's major regions, and they act as reference and study sites to help improve our knowledge.
To conserve life support systems.
Biosphere reserves, which may represent large areas of land and water, contribute significantly to the maintenance of the life support systems which serve to avoid soil erosion, maintain soil fertility, regulate river flow, recharge aquifers, recycle nutrients, and absorb air and water pollutants.
To learn about natural systems and how they are changing.
Research may be conducted on natural systems in the Biosphere Reserves which have changed little. This can then be compared with landscapes elsewhere. Such studies, when carried out over the long term, show how these systems may be changing over time. They allow for comparisons to be made regionally and worldwide. The information thus obtained allows us to better understand global environmental changes.
To learn about traditional forms of land-use.
Worldwide, over long periods of time, people have devised ingenious land-use practices which do not deplete the natural resources and which can provide valuable knowledge for modern production systems.
Biosphere Reserves are areas where such peoples can maintain their traditions, as well as improve their economic well-being through the use of appropriate technologies.
To share knowledge on how to manage natural resources in a sustainable way
Research to find land-use practices that improve human well-being, without degrading the environment, is a central purpose of Biosphere Reserves. The lessons learned can be shared at all levels throughout the world.
To co-operate in solving natural resources problems.
Biosphere Reserves provide places where conflicts in interest can be debated by all concerned so that appropriate ways can be found to plan and manage the Reserve.

Specific information about the Lanzarote Biosphere Reserve can be found by visiting the following web sites:
UNESCO's Biosphere Reserve Directory

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