How biosphere reserves help people and nature thrive together

November 3 is UNESCO's International Day for Biosphere Reserves. Designated under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, these areas bring together biodiversity conservation, scientific research and sustainable development.

They demonstrate how protecting ecosystems can go hand in hand with supporting local communities.

The urgency of biodiversity action was underscored at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which concluded in Yerevan, Armenia, on October 31, 2026.

The meeting completed the first global review of collective progress under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The framework sets 23 targets for 2030, including conserving at least 30 percent of terrestrial and inland water areas, as well as coastal and marine areas. The review found that the world remains off track to meet these targets.

Parties adopted nearly 50 decisions and the Yerevan Pathway, which identifies priorities for accelerating implementation, strengthening monitoring and reporting, and increasing support for developing countries.

A longer-term roadmap was adopted at the 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves in Hangzhou, China, in 2025.

The Hangzhou Declaration and the Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan for UNESCO's MAB Programme and its World Network of Biosphere Reserves (2026-2035) provide a framework for the network's work over the next decade.

The plan sets three strategic objectives: advancing environmental agreements, strengthening the MAB network, and advancing research and knowledge-sharing.

It also includes 34 voluntary action targets and encourages cooperation with Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

China is home to 36 UNESCO biosphere reserves, including the Daqingshan Biosphere Reserve in Inner Mongolia and the Zhouzhi Biosphere Reserve in Shaanxi, both designated in 2025.

Beyond these designated reserves, wider restoration efforts in China offer further examples of how ecological recovery can benefit people and nature.

In Baotou, Inner Mongolia, wetlands along the Yellow River provide habitat for around 100,000 migratory birds each year. The area supports 242 bird species, 165 more than in the late 1990s.

At Dianchi Lake in Yunnan Province, restoration efforts have helped revive underwater ecosystems, with the density of submerged plants increasing from less than 2% to 60%.

Technology is also supporting conservation. At Dianchi Lake, an AI-powered monitoring system uses high-definition cameras, drones and deep-learning algorithms to identify bird species, count populations and record their behavior.

It has achieved an accuracy rate of more than 90%, providing data to support research into bird migration, breeding habits and wetland health.

China is also contributing to global biodiversity efforts. It has contributed 400 million yuan (about $60 million) to the Kunming Biodiversity Fund. The fund has approved 31 projects across 45 developing countries.

During COP17, nine projects worth about $4.5 million were approved under the first phase of its third funding round.

UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves now comprises 797 sites across 145 countries, covering 7.5 million square kilometers, or more than 5% of the Earth's terrestrial surface.

As countries work to turn biodiversity commitments into action, biosphere reserves offer practical ways to connect ecosystem conservation, scientific knowledge and sustainable development.

For more:

Land of Diversity II: The story of humans and the biosphere