New Sites Join the World Network of Biosphere Reserves

Reserves were inscribed in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe for the first time this year

The 22nd session of the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB-ICC) decided to add 13 new sites from 15 countries to the UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) which now counts 564 sites in 109 countries.

Sweden and the United Kingdom for their part decided to withdraw two sites from the World Network of Biosphere Reserves - Lake Torne and Taynish respectively - because they do not meet the criteria set out in the Seville Strategy of 1995. Biosphere Reserves are areas designated under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme to serve as places to test different approaches to integrated management of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine resources and biodiversity. Biosphere Reserves are thus sites for experimenting with and learning about sustainable development.

Brief description of the new sites:

1. Kafa, Ethiopia

• Source:UNESCO SC
• 02-06-2010