The MaB Program

Established in 1971, the UNESCO “Man and the Biosphere” (MaB) Program is an intergovernmental program aimed at laying the scientific foundations for improving the relationship between humans and the environment. By integrating natural and social sciences, economics, and education, its goal is to safeguard natural and human-influenced ecosystems while promoting the sustainable development of territories from an economic, social, and environmental perspective.

In the decades following the program’s creation, the network of Biosphere Reserves established worldwide under the MaB program has become UNESCO’s operational arm for achieving the sustainability goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Comprising terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems representative of specific biogeographic regions and significant for biodiversity conservation, Biosphere Reserves are real-life laboratories for sustainable development – places of best practices capable of providing local solutions to global challenges.