Man and the Biosphere Program (UNESCO)

The man and the Biosphere Program (MAB) is a network of biosphere reserves that are nominated by national governments and designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It was established in 1971, with the first reserves coming into the World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 1976. The World Network of Biosphere Reserves is the only intergovernmental network whose objectives lie in meeting sustainable development, conservation, and scientific cooperation. The delay in official designation was due to the need for the MAB Coordinating Council to define the procedures of designating biosphere reserves, as well as deciding what the overall objectives and characteristics of the program were.

This scheme was initiated by UNESCO as a follow-up program to the International Biological Program. Unlike its ...