Benefits of biosphere reserves:
The biosphere reserve concept can be used as a framework to guide and reinforce projects to enhance people’s livelihoods and ensure environmental sustainability. UNESCO’s recognition can serve to highlight and reward such individual efforts. The designation of a site as a biosphere reserve can raise awareness among local people, citizens and government authorities on environmental and development issues. It can help to attract additional funding from different sources. At the national level, biosphere reserves can serve as pilot sites or ‘learning places’ to explore and demonstrate approaches to conservation and sustainable development , providing lessons which can be applied elsewhere . In addition, they are a concrete means for countries to implement Agenda 21, the convention of Biological Diversity (for example the Ecosystem Approach), many Millennium Development Goals (for example on environmental sustainability), and the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. In the case of large natural areas which straddle national boundaries, trans-boundary biosphere reserves can be established jointly by the countries concerned, testifying to long- term cooperative efforts.
Management of Biosphere Reserves:
