20 new biosphere reserves created
The MAB International Coordinating Council approved the nominations of 20 new biosphere reserves at its annual meeting. Among the new reserves are two transboundary reserves and the Man and the Biosphere Programme welcomes five new countries.
Four nominations were rejected and one country decided to withdraw from the programme. 727 biosphere reserves in 131 different countries are now recognised by UNESCO. Their surface area covers about 6% of the total surface of our planet.
Another new development is the first biosphere reserve spanning five countries. The Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve on the Danube now covers territory in Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia and Slovenia. It has absorbed a transboundary reserve between Croatia and Slovenia.
France has two new reserves, one in Martinique and the other very close to us: the South Moselle, in the Sarrebourg region.
3 new countries in the network
Lesotho, Libya and Saudi Arabia also joined the international MAB network with the first biosphere reserve created in each of the respective countries.
The Minett UNESCO Biosphere, the first reserve in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, has been a member of the Man and the Biosphere network since 28 October 2020.