Progress report for
Facilitating learning an sharing of good practices within and beyond UNESCO Biosphere Reserves How do UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in the Baltic Sea Region contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda?
Achievement at a glance
The voluntary commitment has resulted in the international network Biosphere for Baltic that gathers and disseminate experiences from biosphere reserves in the Baltic Sea region and provide opportunities for exchange between biosphere reserves (BRs) and organizations with Baltic Sea focus. Nine BRs in seven countries (Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Germany and Denmark) participate in the project which is coordinated by Kristianstads Vattenrike BR and the Man and Biosphere Program in Sweden with funding from the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management.During 2018 and 2019 three international exchange events was arranged where the participating BRs have exchanged knowledge and learned from each other. The outcome and conclusions from the exchange events have been summarized in a folder and a short film has also been produced. Both the folder and film are available through the Swedish MAB website: www.biosfarprogrammet.se/projekt/biosphere-forbaltic/
Further, the output of the commitment has been presented at the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Managements yearly national conference and at the international conference Ocean Literacy in Coastal Cities held in Malm, Sweden, in December 2018. The International Coordinating Council of the MAB Programme (MAB-ICC) has received updates and results from Biosphere for Baltic during 2018 and 2019 and the National Commission of UNESCO has published a news article.
Biosphere for Baltic has resulted in an increased dialogue and exchange between the BRs and ideas for future collaborations has been developed. Further, the collaboration has resulted in strengthening the biosphere reserves role in engaging the public and making them aware of how their involvement is a prerequisite for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Biosphere for Baltic has also been granted additional funding from the Swedish Institute to initiate a collaboration on sustainable practices in the Baltic Sea region in order to highlight environmental challenges and contribute to ocean literacy.
Beneficiaries
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