THE NEED FOR AN URBAN BIOSPHERE NETWORK
In 2008, for the first time in human history, over half of the world’s population is living in urban areas. By 2030, more than two billion people will be living in urban slums with limited access to basic services, limited participation in decision making processes and facing extreme vulnerability to natu‐
ral disasters (United Nations). This represents enormous challenges such as increased poverty and pressure on resources in eco‐
logically vulnerable areas. Opportunities for sus‐
tainable urban planning rest in increased devolution of power to local and regional authorities. The Urban Biosphere Network represents a strategy for building a public interest arena enabl‐
ing scientists, civil society and policy makers to fos‐
ter a dynamic relationship between people and their natural environment for sustainable governance of the urban landscape. UNESCO BIOSPHERE RESERVE CONCEPT UNESCO Biosphere reserves are areas of ter‐
restrial and coastal ecosystems nominated by governments promoting solutions to re‐
concile the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use. The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves is made up of 531 sites in 110 coun‐
tries around the world, with the functions of conservation of biodiversity, sustainable de‐
velopment, research, outreach and education, thus contributing to the objectives of the CBD and the implementation of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment THE URBAN BIOSPHERE NETWORK
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP The strategic partnership between UNESCO and the Stockholm Resilience Center* links science with policy and practice. This partner‐
ship addresses three major challenges to urban governance and ecosystem management: • Bridging the divide between science and practice through the creation of an international network of urban arenas that incorporates local knowledge and interdisciplinary science. • Developing innovative and adaptive systems of regional and local gover‐
nance of urban landscapes that sustain ecosystem services. • Creating platforms for urban resilience that foster equity, improved ecosystem functions and sustainable urban infra‐
structure •
The Urban Biosphere Network aims to re­
establish the connection between people and their natural environment through innovative forms of knowledge networking and gover­
nance of the urban landscape www.stockholmresilience.su.se CANBERRA A ‘planned city’, which incorporates signif‐
icant areas of natural vegetation in and around the city. The ACT government, sup‐
ported by CSIRO is conducting public hear‐
ings to examine the feasibility of an Urban Biosphere to reconnect the public with the natural systems. Contact: Guy Barnett [email protected] NEW ORLEANS Hurricane Katrina resulted in ecological transformations on a scale never before witnessed in United States. Scientists at Tulane and Xavier Universities are studying urban ecosystems at risk to improve the recovery process. The Urban Biosphere con‐
cept is seen as a tool for reconnecting com‐
munities with the natural systems they de‐
pend on for their survival. Contact: Douglas Meffert [email protected] Canberra Planned City
THE URBAN BIOSPHERE PROCESS Canberra Planned City
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JOHANNESBURG The unique biodiversity is under threat from development with pressure from urbaniza‐
tion, mining, high population growth and un‐
employment. An Urban Biosphere is proposed integrate human activities with support from local and provincial authorities in Gauteng. Contact: Budu Manaka, [email protected]
Examine the value added of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Concept to regional planning;
Conduct public hearings with all stake‐
holders
Adopt an ecosystem approach as defined by the CBD to land use.
Use as an educational and research plat‐
form for sustainable development
Decide on merits of applying for Urban Omerli Watershed Region
Biosphere status
ISTANBUL Omerli Watershed is an important wa‐
tershed for provision of drinking water to UrGauteng Province
banization in the Gauteng Province
Istanbul, a city of over 10 million people. Urban development is threatening both biological diversity and water quality and the area has been proposed as an Urban Biosphere to foster watershed scale plan‐
ning that reconciles urban development, water quality and biodiversity conserva‐
tion. Contact: Azime Tezer [email protected] Contact: Christine Alfsen, UNESCO New York Office, [email protected] Thomas Elmqvist, Stockholm Resilience Centre, [email protected] Cape Floristic Region
CAPETOWN/STELLENBOSCH The CUBES Cape Town Group examines the potential value of the Urban Bios‐
phere concept as a tool for environmen‐
tal management, social inclusion, and poverty alleviation in the Cape Town region. The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve, including the city of Stellen‐
bosch with 300,000 inhabitants, deals with equity issues and access rights in an area of global significance for biodiversi‐
ty. Contact: Ruida Stanvliet [email protected] Stellenbosch Biosphere Reserve
Stellenbosch Biosph