The Biosphere Reserves Involved

In 2023 the Nordic Biosphere Reserves agreed to a common partnership project about 'translating' the Kunming-Montreal biodiversity framework to the local level in the context of Nordic Biosphere Reserves. aiming to demonstrate how biosphere reserves are a valuable locally-based instrument for achieving the global targets for biodiversity. The work is led by Møn UNESCO Biosphere assisted by Mads Randbøll Wolff, Sustainability 2030 and Nikolaj Sveistrup, Urban Agenda in Denmark and includes participation from Nordic Biosphere Reserves.

The project is called MAB-LAB, short for 'Man and the Biosphere - Local Actions for the new global framework for Biodiversity'. It is based on a fundamental ambition to promote and support local solutions to global challenges by increasing the number of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in the Nordic region.

Biosphere Reserves are model areas for sustainable development and as such the UNESCO MAB framework offers a strong approach from which we can learn to live in harmony with nature.

From Denmark

Møn UNESCO Biosfære and partners

Møn Biosphere Reserve comprises a series of islands and islets in the southern Baltic Sea. Its landscapes include woodlands, grasslands, pastures, wetlands, coastal areas, ponds and steep hills and a number of small villages, scattered farms and residential areas. As a part of the Municipality of Vordingborg it is situated in the south eastern part of Denmark.

Møn UNESCO Biosphere is assisted by Mads Randbøll Wolff, Sustainability 2030 and Nikolaj Sveistrup, Urban Agenda.

Foto of the Kristianstads Vattenrike from above

From Sweden

Vattenriket and the swedish MAB committee

Kristianstads Vattenrike is the oldest of Sweden’s biosphere reserves. Established in 2005, it includes two thirds of the municipality of Kristianstad in Skåne, the southernmost of Sweden’s provinces. This rich cultural landscape is endowed with almost every type of natural habitat to be found in Sweden.

And the MAB-program in Sweden/the swedish MAB committee...

From Norway

Nordhordland UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and The Norwegian Biosphere Committee

Nordhordland Biosphere Reserve is centrally located on the coast of western Norway and comprises the coastal landscape between Bergen and Sognefjorden. Nordhordland is also vital for the Norwegian economy, with large hydroelectric resources and oil and gas extracted from the seabed off the coast.

And The Norwegian Biosphere Committee...

From Finland

North Karelia Biosphere Reserve and Archipelago Sea Biosphere Reserve

North Karelia in eastern Finland encompasses a rich natural landscape. It is home to over 2,000 lakes, as well as extensive forests that cover about 70 per cent of the region.

Archipelago Sea Area is situated in the Province of Turku and Pori in south-western Finland. It represents a coastal environment of small islands in the Baltic Sea. People have lived here for generations and maintain close contact with the sea and nature.

From Iceland

Snæfellsnes Biosphere Reserve

Known as “Iceland in a nutshell” the Snæfellsnes Biosphere Reserve is a landscape of striking contrasts, encompassing volcanic peaks, lava fields, wetlands, grasslands, coastal cliffs, and the iconic Snæfellsjökull glacier.

Located on Iceland’s west coast, it represents a living example of how natural processes and cultural heritage intertwine in a dynamic subarctic environment.