18 November 2011: The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has released the proceedings of the high-level international conference titled “For life, for the future – Biosphere reserves and climate change,” which took place from 27-28 June 2011, in Dresden, Germany. The conference discussed the role of UNESCO biosphere reserves in implementing and advancing climate change policies.

The conference concluded with an appeal to better use the experience of biosphere reserves for climate change action. In the outcome document, the “Dresden Declaration,” participants call for closer links among climate change mitigation and adaptation, poverty alleviation and the conservation of biological diversity. The event was held to mark the 40th anniversary of the programme “Man and the Biosphere” (MAB) of UNESCO.

The Dresden Declaration was endorsed in November 2011 by the UNESCO General Conference. [Dresden Conference Website] [Report of the Natural Science Commission of UNESCO with Endorsement of the Dresden Declaration] [The Proceedings]