Nov 3 – International Day of Biosphere Regions

November 3, 2022 marks a very special day in the global UNESCO Biosphere calendar as the very first International Day of Biosphere Regions.

This day is being launched as an annual celebration of the Biosphere programme – which is UNESCO’s oldest intergovernmental scientific programme – and will showcase the World Network of Biospheres’ contributions to global sustainable development over the past 50 years. The Bras d’Or Lake estuary and it’s watershed were designated a UNESCO Biosphere back in 2011.  Currently, there are 20 designated biospheres in Canada and 738 worldwide in 134 countries.

THE IMPORTANCE OF UNESCO’s PROGRAMME ON MAN AND THE BIOSPHERE (MAB)

The MAB Programme and the biosphere region/reserve model have, over the past 50 years, become an international example of sustainable territorial development and highlight UNESCO’s and the MAB’s commitment to a global biodiversity agenda and sustainable development goals.

Nature is as important to our mental and physical well-being as it is to our society’s ability to deal with global change, threats and natural disasters. Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse constitute one of the greatest threats facing humanity this decade. Protecting and restoring biodiversity and well-functioning ecosystems and encouraging the ways of life of the people who make this possible can be key to increasing our resilience. Healthy and resilient societies depend on giving nature the space it needs.

The global ecological emergency in which we find ourselves has highlighted the utter timeliness of the approach of UNESCO’s MAB Programme, showing that it is an extremely valuable alternative through which to achieve sustainability and well-being, both human and planetary. It is clear that as a society we need to find new, more respectful and sustainable ways of relating to our environment.

Biosphere regions/reserves are ‘learning places for sustainable development’. They are places where there is a voluntary commitment to implement the basic goals of the MAB Programme through sustainable socioeconomic development. Implementation takes place through structured projects which are supported by scientific knowledge within a well-defined governance system while respecting the biodiversity of the area. The Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere through its various projects attempts to accomplish these goals.

To accomplish our goals we need people with a passion for the Bras d’Or Lake and its watershed. Please consider joining or donating to the Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere Region Association to help ensure a healthy, vibrant future. It is yours to nurture and protect.

 To find out more about the International Day for Biosphere Reserves  please click here.