Governance in UNESCO
Biosphere Reserves
Responding to the triple threat of the Anthropocene (preventing the loss of biodiversity, adapting to climate change, and sustainably supporting a growing population) requires big-picture sustainability institutions. UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserves are uniquely positioned to be those landscape-scale institutions.
Together with partner institutions
Governance in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves
Effective biosphere reserve governance to guide landscapes towards environmental sustainability
This research is funded by the National Research Foundation’s Global Change Social Sciences Research Programme (GCSSRP) v2 Programme. The research is led by the Global Change Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) with project partners from the Sustainability Research Institute (Nelson Mandela University, South Africa), Department of Geography & Environmental Sciences (University of Venda, South Africa) and School of Environment and Sustainability (University of Saskatchewan, Canada).
Working together with individual Biosphere Reserves, and the South African Man & Biosphere Programme focal point in South Africa, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries & the Environment (DFFE), this research aims to understand how BR’s operations help guide the landscape on a pathway of sustainability.
Publications
The scientific value of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves.
View all the project publications and other related content by clicking on the link below.
Project Activities
Governance evolutions in the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve.
The Waterberg biosphere reserve became a ‘biosphere reserve’ in 2001, the third biosphere reserve to be listed in South Africa. At over 21 years old, the WBR has seen many changes …
View all our current project Activities by clicking on the link below.
