Second Man and Biosphere (MAB) for the Preparation of Hawar Islands as a UNESCO Designated Biosphere Reserve
The second workshop on “Man and the Biosphere” (MAB) was held from 19 – 20 November 2019, at ARC-WH headquarters in Manama, Bahrain as part of the ongoing process to nominate the Hawar Islands as a biosphere reserve. The workshop was organised in cooperation between the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH), the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE) and the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.
During the two-day workshop, Dr. Thomas Schaaf, Programme Specialist at the UNESCO Division of Ecological Science Terra-Sana environmental consultant, introduced the participants to the importance of biospheres and their role in promoting the sustainable development of communities in the surrounding natural areas. He pointed to the MAB Programme is vital in the conservation of natural areas, promoting sustainable development, and providing the opportunity for scientific research. Participants include experts in the field of heritage and nature and representatives from involved governmental institutions.
The workshop focused on environmental conservation and development of the Hawar Islands, as well as providing technical support for national teams that will be working on the nomination of the Hawar Islands as designated Man and Biosphere Reserve. It will also assist the SCE in developing a strategy for the protection of the nature reserve while taking into account the promotion of sustainable development of the local population.
Spanning a total area of 50 square kilometers, the Hawar Islands are of exceptional natural importance to several marine species, including dugongs and the largest gathering of Socotran Cormorants that come to the islands to breed. The Hawar Islands are one of six declared nature reserves in Bahrain, which are protected and managed by SCE.
UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB) was launched in 1971 as an Intergovernmental Scientific Programme to improve the relationship between people and their natural environment. There are currently a total of 701 Biosphere Reserves in 124 different countries, 33 of which are in the Arab region across 12 countries.
ARC-WH started the year 2019 by launching the “Conversation on Hawar: Preservation and Development” which highlighted the various elements that makes Hawar a unique environment.
