ISSN 1993-8616
2009 - Number 6
Man and Nature: living in harmony
© Laurent Testot
Animal species are currently becoming extinct one thousand times faster than the natural rate.
Of the 32 billion tons of CO2 we produce globally, our natural ecosystems can absorb approximately 18 million tons. Without this natural sponge, the global ecological situation would be far more desperate.
In the past 30 years the planet’s natural resources have diminished by 30% - due to over-consumption, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
This month’s edition focuses on several of the 22 new biosphere reserves within UNESCO’s world network, which now has a total of 553 sites. Scattered among 107 countries, these vast regions consist of land, coastal and marine ecosystems internationally recognized as important.
Maintaining biodiversity, finding the right balance between human activities and environmental protection, safeguarding inhabitants’ traditional rights and preserving wildlife: these constitute the main challenges for the sustainable management of these sites. Read the editorial
Man and the biosphere: applying the concept literally
The concept of urban ecology is key for the Bliesgau, a protected area in Germany added to the global network of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves on 26 May. The Bliesgau is not the first site to include its urban elements, but it is the only one where population density is as high as 310 inhabitants per square kilometre. More
Tigers and men
Black tigers, four-horned antelope, giant squirrels, mugger crocodiles, deer, rhesus macaques – this is just a sample of the fauna living in Nokrek, Pachmarhi and Similipal. Managers of these three Indian biospheres are counting on international support to protect the traditional rights of forest dwellers and at the same time preserve wildlife. More
Climate change bogeyman in your neighbourhood
Giam Siak Kecil – Bukit Batu, Indonesian site that has just joined the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, will become a “living laboratory” for sustainable development. Solutions for climate change will be devised and tested. More
Lajat: where nature meets history
Lajat, in the far south of Syria, offers some of the region’s most impressive scenery. With its farming traditions and archaeological ruins, this new biosphere reserve is an example of the interdependence between cultural and biological diversity. More
When World Heritage sites and Biosphere Reserves merge
Last May, Fraser Island, Australian World Heritage site since 1992, became the core part of the new Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve. Natural world heritage sites conserve ecosystems for which they have been inscribed, while biosphere reserves also do restoration of degraded environments. How will environment and tourist management practices change for the world’s largest sand island? More
Fuerteventura, the complete reserve
Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands off south-west Spain, was recently added to the list of world Biosphere Reserves. The decision was made in order to preserve the island’s fish stocks and rich marine life, as well as protect their natural environments. More
