What
is a Biosphere Reserve? The United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) through its "Programme
on Man and the Biosphere" (MAB) recognizes certain regions as
having global, as well as regional or national significance.
These places are called World Biosphere Reserves. They include
the Florida Everglades, the Galapagos Islands, the Serenghetti
Plains and over 408 other areas in 94 countries (as of September
2001).
In 1990, the Niagara Escarpment joined this distinguished company.
Biosphere Reserves in Canada 2003
Click
Here for a Map of all World Biosphere Reserves
| The Biosphere Reserve program emphasizes the
importance of wise planning in maintaining the natural integrity
of biosphere reserves, while accommodating the needs of growing
human populations. For the escarpment, this is accomplished
by Ontario's Niagara
Escarpment Plan, the land use plan that has controlled
development on the Escarpment since 1985. The Plan has been
studied and admired worldwide as a model for land use planning
in World Biosphere Reserves.
|
|
Click on the image above for information
about
CONE's World Biosphere Reserve
sign project |
Becoming a Biosphere Reserve
World Biosphere Reserves are nominated by national governments
and must meet a minimal set of criteria and adhere to a minimal
set of conditions before being admitted into the World Network.
Each Biosphere Reserve is intended to fulfil three basic functions,
which are complementary and mutually reinforcing:
- a conservation function - to contribute to the conservation
of landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic variation;
- a development function - to foster economic and human development
which is socio-culturally and ecologically sustainable;
- a logistic function - to provide support for research, monitoring,
education and information exchange related to local, national
and global issues of conservation and development.
A reserve must have one or more protected core areas that conserve
significant ecological features. Buffer zones around the core may
be used in ways that do not affect this protected area. On the escarpment,
the core area consists of areas designated "Natural" by the Niagara
Escarpment Plan, portions of the Bruce Peninsula National Park and
Fathom Five National Marine Park.
Each nomination is examined by a UNESCO Advisory Committee for
biosphere reserves, for recommendation to the International Co-ordinating
Council of the MAB Programme. This Council takes a decision on
nominations for designation and the Director-General of UNESCO
notifies the State concerned of the decision.
For a discussion of the history of the Niagara Escarpment's designation
as a Biosphere Reserve, read "Becoming a Biosphere Reserve" by
George Francis in the November
2003 issue of the Niagara Escarpment Foundation's newsletter.
Note: This newsletter was not distributed until Spring 2004.
History of the Biosphere Reserve Program
The origin of UNESCO/MAB goes back to the "UNESCO Conference
on the Conservation and Rational Use of the Biosphere" held in
Paris in 1968. The Conference discussed science and management
issues posed by the pervasive environmental and resource problems
that were becoming increasingly evident in the world at that time.
It concluded that countries must develop greater capabilities
for undertaking cross-disciplinary research linked to policy and
management issues for environmental conservation, and to what
now would be called sustainable resource use.
In response, UNESCO launched the MAB program in 1970 as an inter-governmental
program to foster the development of these capabilities.
Soon after MAB began, it was decided to identify for special
recognition, particular areas in the world where this kind of
cross-disciplinary work was being conducted successfully. The
name "Biosphere Reserve" was chosen in the early 1970s to identify
these special, experimental sites with the MAB Programme.
Links and Resources
- Escarpment
Centre Ontario (Owen Sound) --- a proposed world class interpretive
and research centre dedicated to the Niagara Escarpment World
Biosphere Reserve
- Giant's Rib
Discovery Centre (Hamilton) --- a proposed multi-media and
communication complex structured to celebrate the nature, the
history and the wonders of the Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere
Reserve
- Canadian
Biosphere Reserve Association --- with members from each
of the UNESCO-designated Canadian biosphere reserves, CBRA aims
to sustain our communities, our country and our planet through
research, education, conservation and demonstration in the Canadian
biosphere reserve network
- Leading
Edge --- biennial conference showcasing activities for sustainable
communities, research, monitoring and conservation on Canadian
Biosphere Reserves
- United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
--- contributes to peace and security in the world by promoting
collaboration among nations through education, science, culture
and communication
- UNESCO
Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB) --- develops the basis,
within the natural and the social sciences, for the sustainable
use and conservation of biological diversity, and for the improvement
of the relationship between people and their environment globally
including administration of the World Biosphere Reserve program
|