EuroMAB 2015 Symposium

Yury Buyvolov, the Deputy Director of Scientific Research of the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve, attended EuroMAB 2015 symposium.

Russian delegation included three Russian biosphere reserves representatives – the Prioksko-Terrasny and the Volga-Kama (the Republic of Tatarstan) Biosphere Reserves, and the “Smolensk Lakeland” national park. The conference was held on 19-23 May in the Estonian town called Haapsalu.

EuroMAB is the largest and oldest of the MAB Regional Networks: 52 countries, including Canada and the USA, and 289 biosphere reserves. Meetings of the MAB National Committees and biosphere reserve coordinators of EuroMAB have taken place almost every two years since 1986. The motto of this forum is “Biosphere Reserves – From Legacy to Steady Innovations”.

Symposium participants discussed the project of Biosphere Reserves Development Strategy for the period of 2016-2025, which will be presented at the 4th International Biosphere Reserves Congress in 2016 in Peru. One of the major features of the new draft strategy is to mainstream adaptation of society to climate change, and introduction of climate change impacts monitoring into Biosphere Reserves practice.

The representative of the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve together with the Director of the Volga-Kama Biosphere Reserve took an active part in discussions on the development of monitoring and research in biosphere reserves and the network of scientists and scientific organizations operating in biosphere reserves re-establishment. Proposals were made on cooperation of Russian biosphere reserves with foreign researchers.

The participants visited the Estonia’s only biosphere reserve – West Estonian Archipelago, the islands of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, and Vormsi.

At the closing session, the baton of holding EuroMAB conferences was passed from Estonia to France in a solemn atmosphere.