Plant for Wildlife

							Biosphere Reserves
(Almost) everything you ever
wanted to know, but were afraid
to ask……
         Pete Frost
   Countryside Council for
            Wales
What are they?
    What are they for?
 Conserving biodiversity, with
 Sustainable use

 Living laboratories for sustainable
  development
What’s different about
        them?
         Social
         Cultural

         Spiritual

         Economic
  What do they do?
                Development
Conservation



               Logistic
What do they look like?
But in reality…
How do they work?
   Stakeholder participation
   Management Plan
   Designated authority or mechanism
   Mechanisms to manage human use in
    Buffer Zone
   Programmes for research, monitoring,
    education, training
What’s the role of:
    What do UNESCO do?
 Assess applications
 Maintain the world list

 Maintain the website

(http://www.unesco.org/mab/wnbr.htm)
 Promote networking

 Review existing Biosphere Reserves
          Networking
 Capacity building
 Focus on different ecosystems

 Research and monitoring

 Sustainable development in action
    The Periodic Review
 UK re-joins UNESCO
 UNESCO asks for a report

 DETR commissions review

 Some UK Biosphere Reserves de-
  listed
What about the Dyfi?
    •No zonation
    •Too small
      The good news!
 The most promising BR in the UK
 Easy to create Core Area and Buffer
  Zones from existing Nature Reserves
  and protected areas (SSSI)
 Transition Area could cover the
  catchment
What are the options?
   Do nothing
   Apply to de-designate

   Bring it up to standard
    How do we do it?
 Listen to informed local opinion
 Relay the result to the National
  Assembly
 National Assembly works via the
  UNESCO UK MAB Committee and the
  Foreign Office
        ….Form filling
 Very long
 Very detailed

 Lots of supporting information
  Then what?


The hard work
 really starts!