Project Activities

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 and evolutions in its governance approach as it matured, many of which will be useful learnings for other biosphere reserves…..

There is some evidence from across the World Network of biosphere reserves that some biosphere reserves have highly innovative and participatory governance systems. Yet the capturing of these ‘governance innovations’ is limited, resulting in poor opportunities for sharing these learnings with other biosphere reserves globally….

This research examines the governance models of two South African biosphere reserves, the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region (K2C) and the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve  (GCBR) which are deemed successful, in order to highlight innovative approaches they have developed to govern these biosphere reserves…..

The Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme has been earmarked as one of the most promising ways of tackling the triple challenge of the Anthropocene and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, it may have the potential to make positive contributions to one of the most troubling conservation challenges of our time – winning spaces for large carnivores in human-dominated landscapes.….

The Garden Route Biosphere (GBR) is the case study for this research activity. This research aims to examine the governance model of the Biosphere Reserve (BR) to identify the enabling and disenabling factors to its successful implementation in the social-ecological system in which it is embedded. Specific attention is given to youth engagement within the BR, as facilitated through the GBR’s current governance approach..….

Biosphere reserves are ideally implemented to support the practical implementation of sustainable development goals in the landscape in which they are found. However, this is closely linked to the effectiveness of their individual governance and management structures. Therefore, understanding each biosphere reserve’s governance and management is of great importance…….

This research project examines the substantial land-use change occurring within the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve’s (GRBR) boundaries in recent years by using remotely sensed satellite imagery and machine learning techniques. By providing research on these land-use changes, especially for the Outeniqua Strategic Water Source Areas within the GRBR, it will be possible to understand the current and future implications of these land-use changes, with consequences for management of this landscape by the GCBR and its stakeholders. …..

Good governance is recognized as important to ensuring that biosphere reserves are able to achieve their mandate which includes contributing to ecologically sustainable development. This project investigates the governance model and the impact of the science-policy-practice interface in enhancing governance in the Magaliesberg Biosphere with the aim of identifying challenges and areas of best practice……