The fifth World Congress of Biosphere Reserves reviewed progress since it last met ten years ago and set strategic priorities for the forthcoming decade of work under the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The meeting “served as a reminder of the power of the interconnected actions taken by biosphere reserves across the globe in responding to [global] challenges.”
The MAB Programme’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR), the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary report of the meeting explains, “is a catalogue of internationally designated protected areas that act as ‘living laboratories’ for testing novel approaches and implementing actions contributing to advancing global biodiversity and sustainable development agendas.” A key success of the last decade was in enhancing the quality of the Network, delegates underscored, calling for the WNBR to serve as a “global reference for sustainable development in practice.”
The Congress brought together leading experts, conservation practitioners, and representatives of biosphere reserves and the networks connecting them. A series of panel discussions and dialogues focused on:
- the new MAB strategic action plan;
- biodiversity, science, and education;
- optimizing partnerships and finance for biosphere reserves;
- enhancing global, regional, and thematic networks; and
- Indigenous Peoples and local communities, women, and youth in biosphere reserves.
Panelists characterized the WNBR as “uniquely positioned to bridge the science-policy gap and connect global ideas with local actions across geographies, politics, and themes,” pointing also to the establishment and governance of transboundary biosphere reserves.
There was convergence among participants on the need for:
- stronger coordination among, and investment in, biosphere reserves;
- equipping the custodians of reserves with the means to access funding, resources, and capacity building in a sustainable way;
- meaningfully integrating historically marginalized rights and stakeholders in governance processes; and
- engaging in mutual learning, including through intergenerational education, and integrating traditional and modern knowledge, tools, and approaches.
Delegates endorsed the Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan (HSAP) 2026-2035 to guide the work of the MAB Programme and its members. Its three objectives are to: contribute to implementation of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by and beyond 2030; further develop the MAB Programme and its WNBR, including both human and financial resources, and strengthen the excellence of the Network; and develop research and share knowledge and lessons learned from the WNBR to facilitate the vision of living in harmony with nature, align with the SDGs, and inspire and influence sustainable futures and post-2030 agreements.
Delegates also endorsed the Hangzhou Declaration, committing to, inter alia, promoting community-based sustainable development models within biosphere reserves and utilizing biosphere reserves as places for scientific research and learning.
The fifth World Congress of Biosphere Reserves took place in Hangzhou, China, from 22-25 September 2025. [ENB Coverage of Fifth World Congress of Biosphere Reserves]