UNESCO

Boloma Bijagós Biosphere Reserve

[edited by Becky Lam]



[There are a number of additional maps of the biosphere reserve already uploaded on the wiki--look in the folder ***. Maybe

The MAB Programme

• The Man and the Biosphere Programme
• Goal: to set a scientific basis underlying the improvement of the relationships between people worldwide and the global environment.
• Seeks to address scientific, environmental, societal, and development issues surrounding biodiversity loss.
• Activities focus on reducing biodiversity loss in specific ecosystems: mountains; drylands; tropical forests; urban systems; wetlands; marine, island, and coastal.
• Implementation through the World Network of Biosphere Reserves and similar partnerships and networks.

• <span style="font-family: 'Euphemia UCAS';" _mce_style="font-family: 'Euphemia UCAS';">There are currently <span style="color: rgb(53, 114, 6); font-size: 130%; ">564 biosphere</span> reserve sites in <span style="color: rgb(53, 114, 6); font-size: 130%; ">109 different countries</span>.</span>

    World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2009

Boloma Bijagós Biosphere Reserve

• Location: 11°40' to 14°43'N; 15°20' to 17°00'W covering an area of 101,230 hectares
• Designated in 1996, MAB recognized that this marine archipelago was home to an astounding diversity of ecosystems: palm forests; mangroves with intertidal zones; secondary and degraded forests; dry and semi-dry forests; coastal savanna; sand banks; aquatic zones.
• The area is known for its pivotal sea turtle, monkey, crocodile, [manatee], and hippopotamus habitats. It is also rich with many species of fish, [crustaceans and mollusks,] and birds.
• Due to its unique geography, isolation, and relative autonomy, the Bijagós Archipelago is considered a unique site of rich biodiversity that can’t be found anywhere else in the world.
• UNESCO hopes to maintain the existing ecosystem and mitigate ecological loss by supporting environmental research partnerships and programs that work to educate the people inhabiting the islands.

     [According to the Sacred Land Film Project website (linked below), the sacred spaces of the traditional Bijagos religion - the spaces to which access is restricted and infrequent - overlap with the most valuable locations for biodiversity: a remarkable and perhaps not accidental co-occurrence. - Kristina]

    photos courtesy of IUCN/Guinea-Bissau

links:

[Great start on this, Becky. How about adding a brief description for each of the links--like a couple of sentences of summary telling us what we will find at the link, and particularly any thoughts about how the information in the link can be directly useful to our project. --Peter]

Man and Biosphere Programme - An overview of the MAB Programme, an ecological sciences division of UNESCO. View the goals of MAB and other Biosphere Reserves throughout the world.

MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory: Bijagós - Technical information regarding the Biosphere Reserve on the Bijagós Islands in Guinea-Bissau. Unfortunately, this site hasn't been updated recently.

UNESCO MAB Interactive Map - An easy way to visually browse the world's Biosphere Reserves and ecologically protected areas according to UNESCO.

Sacred Land Film Project: Bijagós Archipelago - A journalistic and documentary project of the Earth Island Institute to produce public educational media.