By Edna Ezinneamaka Onunaku
Following the decision of the 41st session of the UNESCO General Conference, the first International Day for Biosphere Reserves is being celebrated today.
The purpose of the International Day for Biosphere Reserves is to provide, on an annual basis, a wake-up call on the sustainable development approach to modern life and the leading and exemplary role that the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) can play in this regard.
The year 2022 will also see the end of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the MAB Programme. Man and Biosphere Reserve (MAB) Programme was created in 1971 with a vision to promote a sustainable connection between people and nature.
As a highlight to the event, the exhibition, “It’s about life” also arrives in Mexico, after having travelled in Spain, China, and Nigeria. The exhibition was developed in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme. It is a multimedia adventure that invites everyone to step into the World Network of Biosphere Reserves and listen to people who have made living in harmony with their environments a life goal and have succeeded.
The Omo Biosphere Reserve, located in Ijebu, Southern Nigeria, roughly 135 km north-east of Lagos, was the first biosphere reserve in Nigeria and one of the first in Africa. Its name comes from the River Omo that traverses its territory.
