27th Session of the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme UNESCO, Paris, France, 8-12 June 2015 Report of the National Committee for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland This report is structured according to the Targets of the Madrid Action Plan. National Committee Target 7: Functional National MAB Committees The National MAB Committee meets biannually and includes representatives from: • government departments and agencies in England (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland Environment Agency), Scotland (Scottish Government) and Wales (Welsh Government); • Biosphere Reserve (BRs); • Academic institutions (University of Aberystwyth, University of the Highlands and Islands); • National fora: IUCN National Committee UK, UK MAB Urban Forum. Representatives from planned BRs also attend, as do colleagues from Dublin City Council (Republic of Ireland) who have submitted a proposal for an expanded BR for approval during this ICC (and will host the June 2015 meeting). The Committee’s activities are implemented according to a Strategy and Action Plan, which are regularly reviewed. Biosphere Reserves (BRs) There are currently five BRs in the UK: Beinn Eighe, Brighton & Lewes Downs Biosphere (BLDB), Biosffer Dyfi Biosphere, Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere (GSAB), and North Devon Biosphere. A nomination form for Beinn Eighe BR to become part of a much larger Wester Ross Biosphere will be submitted to MAB by September 2015, together with another nomination form for the entire Isle of Man and its territorial waters to become Biosphere Vannin. Target 6: Communication strategies for BRs BLDB continues to develop its brand identity in association with the UNESCO MAB brand, and has a working communication strategy and annual communications work plan of events and activities. A monthly e-news is sent to almost 2000 local ‘Friends’. Biosffer Dyfi Biosphere managed a short promotional campaign for the Glyndŵr’s Way National Trail, in collaboration with the Mid and North Powys Tourism Network. As well as social media and blog activity, the visits by journalists resulted in a full page feature in ‘The Times’ and another is anticipated in ‘The Independent’. A new communications and branding strategy for GSAB has been approved. The new brand has been used in regional advertising campaigns. The website www.gsabiosphere.org.uk has been updated. The Biosphere team now all have access to social media through Facebook and twitter to further promote the Biosphere to a wider audience. North Devon Biosphere has been rebranded and dropped the term “Reserve” in the marketing title. It is however using the word “World” in the title. Funding and outline approval has been set aside for road-signs into the area. There is debate about the design of the sign; the design preferred by UNESCO is not the design preferred by the local stakeholders. A local group of businesses are keen to drive the communication and branding work. 1 Target 10: Open and participatory procedures in BR designation, planning and implementation A 12-month participatory process (May 2014-May 2015) to expand the Beinn Eighe BR (to become a Wester Ross Biosphere) is underway, with support from the Scottish Government. This has involved extensive consultations and the establishment of a shadow Wester Ross Biosphere Strategic Partnership. BLDB has revised its governance to constitute a new broader cross-sectoral Board, together with three specific working groups to further the three Biosphere objectives. Biosffer Dyfi Biosphere trained more people to be ‘Faces of the Biosphere’ to interact with visitors and locals, and the Annual Meeting approved community and business representatives to serve on the Partnership. The several self-organising Thematic Groups provide additional ways to get involved. GSAB has used a participatory approach in the early stages of developing the “Climate Ready Biosphere” strategy and has engaged key individualsfrom a broad cross section of stakeholders to support the development of the revised Biosphere charter. North Devon Biosphere’s periodic review is approaching completion. The Biosphere team are producing the Biosphere Strategy and its components such as Catchment Plan, Woodland Forest Policy, Marine Plan, Sustainable Energy Plan, Biodiversity action plan and communications plan. The Biosphere was a case study in the EU Interreg funded ValMER project that explored marine ecosystem services and how to plan for them. North Devon also uses a lot of citizen science in the management of the area: Riverfly and other community-based water quality monitoring groups, Coastwise (monitoring species on the intertidal areas) and Seasearch for sub tidal monitoring. Target 13: Functional zoning in all BRs Following extensive consultation, the existing Beinn Eighe BR, which consists of a single core area, will be proposed to be expanded to a much large Wester Ross Biosphere, with two core areas, buffer zones, and a large transition area. BLDB is included in the draft local development framework of Brighton & Hove, the main local authority, and works closely with the authorities in charge of the buffer zones, both terrestrial (South Downs national park) and marine (Beachy Head West Marine Conservation Zone). Natural Resources Wales has been asked to consider leading a review of the zonation system for Biosffer Dyfi Biosphere. GSAB is recognised within the three local authority Local Development Plans as a material consideration. Development work is starting on the creation of a landscape partnership scheme, funded through the Heritage Lottery Fund, focused on the river catchments within the Biosphere that provide an interlinked natural corridor from the core area through the buffer and then transition zones before reaching the sea. It is estimated that the project, if successful, would deliver 30+ projects focused on enhancing the region’s natural, cultural and social heritage and would be an investment of £4.5million over 5 years. North Devon Biosphere: The periodic review has highlighted the opportunities to change the zoning. Options are being considered for extra core areas, more buffer zones and, on the request of the local fishing community, to extend to the 12 nautical mile limit. Target 14: Cooperative conservation and development strategies for BRs BLDB has developed a working delivery plan to further the priorities identified from its published five-year management strategy. It is collaborating with North Devon and French BRs on a joint funding bid to the Interreg Channel programme to promote integrated management of green and blue infrastructure and ecosystem services. Natural Resources Wales is collecting baseline data and evidence concerning natural resource management in the Dyfi Valley, which is the largest part of Biosffer Dyfi Biosphere. This is one of three such Pilots in Wales, and will lead to the drafting of an Area Statement describing opportunities to improve the provision of ecosystem services in the catchment, and how to address them. 2 In GSAB, ecosystem services data are being considered in moorland fringe planting and habitat creation. Support work is in place with Forestry Commission Scotland in relation to replanting large areas of the Galloway Forest Park following the outbreak of Phytophthora ramorum which causes damage and mortality, leading to the need to undertake extensive premature felling of infected trees (mainly larch), as a preventative measure to try to contain the spread. By the end of 2013, approximately 5000 - 6000 hectares of larch have been infected in Southern Scotland. North Devon Biosphere’s Biosphere strategy has been and remains influential in the local development plan. The BR also hosts a marine group that has identified the new Marine Conservation Zones for the BR in the national suite of reserves. The BR has been using its strategy and component strategies to lobby for funding with the regional funding bodies in England (Local Enterprise Partnerships). Target 20: Research programmes linked to the development of the management plan and zoning BLDB has a Knowledge working group, consisting of the local universities and colleges, tasked with developing a research plan for applied student projects in the area. It works closely with the University of Brighton, in particular, who are also involved in the Interreg project proposal to develop a monitoring framework for ecosystem services which could be shared more widely with the MAB network. Aberystwyth University is discussing with Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve how to extend aspects of its research into estuarine sedimentary dynamics and hydrodynamics in the river Dyfi, so as to create collaborative learning about changes in ecosystem services expected to result from climate change. GSAB is discussing a mountain corridor connectivity research with a PhD student regarding the utilisation of upland corridors to connect the multiple core zones within the Biosphere. The project would take place in both GSAB and the Urdaibai Biosphere (Spain) which shares similar topography, climate and forestry. North Devon Biosphere has featured highly in the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA) in the application of ecosystem services in the land-use planning system. The NEA was largely carried out by research establishments. Target 21: Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) programmes BLDB has a particular focus on environmental education, working with local bodies to