KATHMANDU

Mountains, which cover up to 27% of the Earth's total land area, represent the most extensive spectrum of geology, climate, species and habitat types, flora and fauna known to us. Major mountain ranges such as the Andes, the Alps and the Himalayas are recognised to be global biodiversity hotspots.

The Himalayas, a series of mountain ranges stretching nearly 3.000 km across the five countries of Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan and China, are a great example to showcase the importance of mountains for biodiversity: India hosts about 8% of the world's biodiversity on only about 2.4% of the world's land area, making it one of the 17 'megadiverse countries' on our planet. The reason for this recognition is the Himalaya and its surroundings.

The Himalayas, while occupying only about 18% of the country's land area, harbor about 40% of all species endemic to the Indian subcontinent.

Apart from their importance as biodiversity hotspots, mountain landscapes host up to 22% of the world's population and provide natural and economic resources as well as a wide range of ecosystem services necessary for human survival. In consequence, biodiversity conservation is essential as it is directly linked to securing livelihoods and improving the socio-economic conditions for the communities.

Mountain landscapes are among the most complex and diverse ecosystems on Earth, but they are also among the most vulnerable.

The impacts of climate change are exacerbated by increasing human-induced disturbances such as deforestation, over-grazing and urbanisation. All of this not only threatens human safety through increased risk of flooding, landslides and avalanches, but also threatens biodiversity in the area and affects the provision of ecosystem services and thus the standard of living of communities.

However, linking biodiversity conservation with the economic and social development that is essential for communities to live well in these regions is an extremely difficult task. This is where the concept of 'Biosphere Reserves' under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme, perhaps today's most advanced tool for linking nature conservation and sustainable development, offers solutions.

The 3rd of November is the 'The International Day for Biosphere Reserves', celebrated first in 2022. The World Network of BR was born in 1971, as a backbone for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration and living in harmony with nature.

The WNBR is an amazing network of sites of excellence.

It is a unique tool to test and apply socio-ecological solutions to reduce and minimise existing problems, via cooperation through sharing knowledge, exchanging experiences, building capacity and promoting best practices.

The members of the WNBR stand always ready to support each other. We have to revert to living in harmony with nature, so that everyone can soon breathe clean air again, has access to enough good water, and eat nutritious and affordable food, to benefit living in dignity.

Healthy habitats are essential to keep nature's balance intact.

BRs have all developed science-based management plans, where local solutions for sustainable human living and nature conservation are being tested and best practices applied. Issues of concern include biodiversity, clean-energy, climate, environmental education, water and waste-management, supported by scientific research and monitoring.

All Biosphere Reserves are internationally recognised sites on land, at the coast or in the oceans. Governments alone decide which areas to nominate.

Before approval by UNES- CO, the sites are externally examined. If approved, they will be managed based on a plan, reinforced by credibility checks, while remaining under the sovereignty of their national government.

Currently, about 65% of the 738 BRs within the WNBR are located in mountain areas. In the Himalayas, India has already successfully established two Biosphere Reserves, namely Nanda Devi with its Valley of Flowers National Park, and Kanchenjunga, with some of the highest ecosystems in the world. Pakistan has already two BRs, but none yet in the Himalayas, and Nepal and Bhutan are still working on implementing their first BRs.

Since December 2021, there is a promising new option for mountain areas in the Himalayas. The MAB Programme, recognising since decades the uniqueness of mountain ecosystems and the ecosystem services they provide, has launched a new thematic network on mountains: the World Network of Mountain BRs (WNMBR). The new network, coordinated through the MAB Secretariat in Paris and a joint technical secretariat managed by the Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (China) and the Valles de Omaña y Luna Biosphere Reserve (Spain) aims to provide constant support to BRs through research, strategic partnerships and collaborations as well as North-South and South- South exchanges of experience.

This approach will enable the WNMBR to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and climatic and biodiversity agreements, without leaving anyone behind.

Celebrating the 1st International Day for Biosphere Reserves is a welcome opportunity for the countries in the Himalayan region to establish additional BRs. At a time when climate conferences are stumbling from compromise to compromise, not delivering what especially young people expect with a view to their future, this modern concept for linking nature conservation and sustainable development has never been more relevant.

Dr. Günter Köck is Member of Austrian MaB National Committee at the Austria Academy of Sciences, and the Austrian delegate to the MAB International Coordinating Council (MAB-ICC).

Dr. Benno Böer is the Chief of the Natural Sciences Unit of the UNESCO New Delhi Office, which covers Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka.

Dr. Neha Midha is the National Programme Officer of the Natural Sciences Unit at the UNESCO Office in New Delhi.

Dr. Miguel Clüsener-Godt is the former Director of the UNESCO Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences, and Secretary of the MaB Programme, and currently professor at the Yokohama National University in Japan.

A version of this article appears in the print on November 3, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.