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Designated areas & BRs

Designated areas in general typically follow the “zoning approach” by being established around one or more strictly protected “core areas” and usually incorporate a much wider area (transition or buffer zone).

Biosphere Reserves of the UNESCO / MAB program are considered “living” or “territorial” laboratories” where new and optimal practices to manage natural processes and human activities are tested and demonstrated. There are the ideal places to put Sustainable Development as well as Education for Sustainable Development in practice.

Biosphere Reserves serve three primary functions:
- Use BRs to identify and conserve natural and cultural diversity
- Use BRs as models of management and of sustainable development, using appropriate incentives.
- Use BRs for research, monitoring, education and training

What is specific for BRs is that:
- education is an integral part of their “Third Function”;
- they have to be “equipped” to provide support to this function;
- their territory is the “class room” and must offer an opportunity to touch with hands not only nature but sustainable development issues (green economy, energy efficiency, sustainable tourism development, territorial marketing, fight against desertification, etc.)…

Under the auspicies of the hellenic National Comission for UNESCO