The 7th Meeting of the SACAM (South and Central Asia MAB Network) will be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 14-15 December 2015. SACAM is part of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental MAB (Man and the Biosphere) programme and supports MAB and biosphere reserve activities in the countries of south and central Asian region.

The Meeting is expected to be attended by representatives of member countries and MAB experts who will present papers/reports and ideas/plans for the Lima Congress. The focus of the meeting will be on three areas: 

• Share experiences of MAB and biosphere reserves/world natural heritage sites from across the South and Central Asian sub-region;
• Discuss about the SACAM participation and themes for a side event during the 4th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves to be held in Lima during March 2016; and 
• Strengthen the MAB programme in Bangladesh. 

This meeting is being held to prepare for the Fourth World Congress of Biosphere Reserves to be held in Lima, Peru, on 14-17 March 2016, to discuss issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Post-2015 Development Agenda, including education for sustainable development, the economic viability of nature conservation systems, biodiversity, and the protection and sustainable use of natural resources. This is for the first time that Bangladesh is hosting the SACAM meeting which will hopefully provide the much needed boost to MAB programme in the country and pave the way to designate the first biosphere reserve in Bangladesh. 

Biosphere reserves currently 651 in number in 120 countries are being promoted as model sites for effective climate change mitigation and adaptation and for implementing conservation linked sustainable development practices such as  sustainable land use, green economies, conservation of ecosystem-services, as well as research and education. 

SACAM was set up in 2001 at the Regional Meeting of Coordinators of National MAB Committees and Biosphere Reserves organized by UNESCO New Delhi in collaboration with the Indian National Committee for MAB and the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India in Dehradun, India. Currently, SACAM currently has 10 countries as its members namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

To download the Concept Paper click here

For further information please contact:

Dr Ram Boojh, Secretary SACAM, UNESCO New Delhi Office (Tel: +91 11 26713000; Email: r.boojh(at)unesco.org)

Ms Beatrice Kaldun, Head and Representative, UNESCO Dhaka Office (Tel: +8802-9873210 Email: b.kaldun(at)unesco.org)