There was a general recognition of the need to set up a central database accessible to all involved with Biosphere Reserves (BR) in the Western Cape province of South Africa. This portal will as a start, link likeminded institutions in the Western Cape and house copies, or at the minimum have references to, to all the research reports for each BR (published in peer-reviewed journals), together with copies of the MSc and PhD theses, and the substantial number of consultant reports that have been produced over the years.

This need ties in with UNESCO’s Vision and Mission statement for BR’s. It vision is:

The World Network of Biosphere Reserves of the MAB Programme consists of a dynamic and interactive network of sites of excellence. It fosters the harmonious integration of people and nature for sustainable development through participatory dialogue; knowledge sharing; poverty reduction and human well-being improvements; respect for cultural values and society’s ability to cope with change – thus contributing to the Millennium Development Goals. Accordingly, the WNBR is one of the main international tools to develop and implement sustainable development approaches in a wide array of contexts.

PLEASE send us your theses, research papers, peer reviews, management plans, EIA’s etc. so that we can upload them on our site.