Of the nearly 800 biosphere reserves (BRs) in the world, more than half are in mountain areas.
Recognising the needs and opportunities for cooperative activities and knowledge sharing, the World Network of Mountain Biosphere Reserves was established in 2021.
The Network is coordinated by UNESCO's Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme and a joint technical secretariat managed by the Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (China) and the Valles de Omaña y Luna BR (Spain). Over the last five years, membership in the network has grown to nearly 100, with members participating in a range of projects, and both online and face-to-face meetings have taken place.
This March, a strategic meeting to develop the future directions of the network took place in Montseny BR, Spain. The participants included members of the technical secretariat, the MAB Secretariat, and experts who have been involved with the network both before and since its creation.
Over two days, they developed a strategic framework and action plan for the network for 2025-2030, taking into consideration the MAB Programme's new Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan (2026-2035), priorities identified by the coordinators/managers of mountain BRs, and opportunities for these BRs to address the global challenges they face, particularly through cooperation with other global scientific programmes.
Further information can be found on the network's website.
