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Uniting Man and Nature

January 13, 2004

Humans must live together in harmony with nature. Under the auspices of the UNESCO program "Man and the Biosphere," reserves are created for scientific interests.

https://p.dw.com/p/4W0g

Nature parks and reserves are often regarded as lifeboats for the planet’s dwindling animal and plant species. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched its own park concept in 1970: the “Man and the Biosphere” (MAB) program. Today, biosphere reserves exist in 97 countries.

Human development is an important part of the UNESCO biosphere concept. The reserves are designed to protect nature and, at the same time, allow human beings to live within the park limits and use the land in a controlled and sustainable fashion. Even intensive agriculture and industry are permitted in certain areas.

Biosphere reserves also serve scientific interests. Data collected by scientists can offer insight into global warming and the greenhouse effect, or into the way species evolve if left untouched. Because of this purpose, they are sometimes termed “living laboratories.” Biosphere reserves also have an educational aspect, since they function as role models for other reserves and often provide learning facilities, such as information centers.

DW-RADIO looks at some of the most interesting biosphere reserves in Germany in a special series produced in co-operation with UNESCO and the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation.

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The Bavarian Forest: A Story of Regeneration

The Bark Beetle has destroyed vast areas of the Bavarian Forest Biosphere Reserve. This destruction and officials’ decision not to intervene has attracted international attention. But the forest is slowly regenerating.
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Rügen: Preserving Traditions and Nature

Rügen is well known in Germany as a place of natural beauty, with its rugged coastlines and protected forests. It is also home to a biosphere reserve, which is aiming to combine this nature with unique rural traditions.
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Schorfheide-Chorin: Environmental Protection and Economic Development

The Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin is located in the scarcely populated area of the former East Germany known as the Uckermark. It’s a region blessed with natural beauty, but plagued by high unemployment.
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The Wadden Sea: Diving into Nature’s Mysteries

The Wadden Sea National Park is renowned for its commitment to leaving nature to its own devices. Millions of visitors come to the coastal region each year to enjoy the peace and solitude of nature in its purest form.
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Upperlusatia: Fishing into the Future

The Biosphere Reserve Upperlusatia covers the largest pond region in Germany, with an 800-year tradition of fish farming. The fishing industry here has come a long way and this success is in part because of the reserve.
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Berchtesgaden: Promoting Sustainable Development

The Berchtesgaden Biosphere Reserve is a unique alpine environment that everyone hopes will survive the pressures of a changing world.
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Interview: Integrating People into the Biosphere

A plan to set up a biosphere reserve is often met with skepticism by local communities. DW-RADIO spoke with the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation about this problem.
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