Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Life
  • Health
  • Environment
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion
  • Science
  • Religion
  • History
  • Feature
  • Expat Corner

20 new sites in 21 countries added to UNESCO biosphere reserves

by French Press Agency - AFP

Abuja, Nigeria Sep 16, 2021 - 10:41 am GMT+3
A general view of the Oban Biosphere Reserve, in Calabar, Cross River, Nigeria where UNESCO Chief Audrey Azoulay visited during a tour of the Reserve on Sept. 12, 2021. (AFP Photo)
A general view of the Oban Biosphere Reserve, in Calabar, Cross River, Nigeria where UNESCO Chief Audrey Azoulay visited during a tour of the Reserve on Sept. 12, 2021. (AFP Photo)
by French Press Agency - AFP Sep 16, 2021 10:41 am
RECOMMENDED
An aerial view shows an iceberg, almost the size of Greater London, that has broken off the Brunt Ice Shelf, in Coats Land,  Antarctica, Jan. 24, 2023. (Reuters Photo)

London-sized massive iceberg breaks off Antarctica's ice shelf

antarctica

Twenty new sites in 21 countries across the world were added on Wednesday to UNESCO's global network of biosphere reserves, the U.N. agency's designation for specially protected regions.

New biosphere reserves are designated each year to promote sustainable development, protect terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems, and encourage conservation.

For the first time, Lesotho, Libya and Saudi Arabia joined the list.

In Lesotho, the Matseng Biosphere Reserve covers an area of 112,033 hectares in the northern highlands, sometimes called the Kingdom in the Sky, according to UNESCO.

"The site is an endemic bird area of high priority, with species such as the Drakensberg siskin."

In Libya, the 83,060 hectares Ashaafean Biosphere Reserve is located in the northeastern part of the Nafusa Mountain.

With "dry woodlands and steppe grasslands to the north and hyper-arid southern zones in the Sahara Desert," the area is home to endangered species, such as the striped hyena and the Land tortoise.

Finally in Saudi Arabia, the Juzur Farasan Biosphere Reserve is an 820,000-hectare archipelago located at the extreme southwest of the country near the Yemeni border.

The islands are home to threatened red mangrove Rhizophora mucronate, the largest population of Idmi gazelle in the country and various species of seabirds, marine species and reptiles.

UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay (R) visits the Oban Biosphere Reserve, in Calabar, Cross River, Nigeria, Sept. 12, 2021. (AFP Photo)
A general view of the Oban Biosphere Reserve, in Calabar, Cross River, Nigeria, where UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay visited during a tour of the Reserve on Sept. 12, 2021. (AFP Photo)

727 biosphere reserves

Other protected sites approved this year are located in Canada, France, Korea, Italy, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Russia, Peru, Spain, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

"The International Coordinating Council of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme ... approved these additions along with the extension or re-zoning of two existing biosphere reserves (in Italy and Chile)," the agency said in a statement.

Among the new approved sites, two are transborder.

The Uvs Lake Depression Transboundary Biosphere crosses Russia and Mongolia and the Mura-Drava-Danube Reserve overlaps five countries: Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia and Slovenia.

Biosphere reserves are nominated by governments and remain under their jurisdiction once approved.

With 25 sites approved last year, the latest additions bring the total number of reserves to 727 in 131 countries – a zone covering nearly 5% of the planet.

Two applications, from Russia and Zambia, were deferred, UNESCO said, and both countries were invited to revise the nomination or provide clarifications.

Five other sites, located in Gabon, Bulgaria, Romania and Russia, were removed from the list, UNESCO said.

They either no longer fit the criteria for a biosphere or the governments had asked for them to be dropped, the agency added.

While in Nigeria, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay traveled to Oban Biosphere Reserve, home to the critically endangered Cross River gorilla.

"The erosion of biodiversity is no longer a hypothesis, but a fact," she said in a statement, warning of an "impending collapse."

"But this collapse is not inevitable: There is still time to make peace with the planet," she added.

A draft treaty to be discussed at an upcoming U.N. biodiversity summit in Kunming, China, proposes that 30% of the planet's lands and oceans become protected areas by 2030.

RECOMMENDED
An aerial view shows an iceberg, almost the size of Greater London, that has broken off the Brunt Ice Shelf, in Coats Land,  Antarctica, Jan. 24, 2023. (Reuters Photo)

London-sized massive iceberg breaks off Antarctica's ice shelf

antarctica
  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    environment united nations nature unesco sites
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states’ early diplomatic maneuvering occurred in the broader context of the nations’ strategic interests and should not be confused with unequivocal support for Russia. (Shutterstock Photo)

    Gulf states changing the face of Ukraine war

    gulf-states
    Leader of the far-right Danish political party Stram Kurs, Rasmus Paludan, stands outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023. (AP Photo)

    Far-right politician Paludan to burn Quran in Denmark

    ISLAMOPHOBIA

    7 killed in armed attack on synagogue in East Jerusalem

    ISRAEL

    US tells Türkiye, Sweden, Finland to solve issues among themselves

    TÜRKIYE-US-RELATIONS
    No Image
    Postcards from Tokyo ahead of 2020 Olympic Games
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021