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Contemporary
trends and future issues
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The world biosphere reserve network is in perpetual
evolution, but certain trends appear to be dominant:
the zones are more and more likely to include urban
areas and urban problems are of increasing importance.
Given that the reserves now have to deal with such highly
complex phenomena, they are growing in size and extending
their areas of action.
Some more recently established reserves are near major
cities: in green belts around Rio and Sao Paolo in Brazil,
in the Fontainebleau area, 45 miles from Paris for example.
These areas are effectively the lungs of these cities,
but the reserves are faced with a large influx of visitors.
To avoid the natural areas being taken over, town planning
needs to be carefully thought out and controlled, as
do the problems raised by transportation...
The inclusion of cities in reserves is still under
discussion, but Rome, which has been running ecological
programs for many years, may well be the first candidate.
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A satellite view of the Reserve,
© EOSAT réalisation GEOSYS, 1988
To handle regional development issues satisfactorily,
the new reserves are significantly larger than those first
approved. They now extend beyond the protected areas with
which they were often confused at the start of the MAB
Program. Their activities now go beyond simple protection
of the environment as they play major roles in regional
development and coordination. As a result, the people
involved in managing the reserves come from increasingly
different backgrounds: local councillors work together
with leaders of associations, scientists and national
government departments. The matters dealt with, initially
mainly scientific and concerning nature, have now expanded
to include mediation, architecture, the development of
brands for local produce...
At this start of the 21st C, biosphere reserves are,
like the societies they represent, confronted by new
and complex questions to which they will have to adapt.
Their role is to carry out fundamental research and
work towards long-term objectives in the service of
Mankind and of Nature without which Man would not exist.
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