At the initiative of the Luxembourg Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO the 11 southern communes of Luxembourg, represented by the syndicate PRO-SUD, decided to apply for the UNESCO label “Man and Biosphere”.

Launched in 1971, UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an Intergovernmental Scientific Programme that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments.

MAB combines the natural and social sciences, economics and education to improve human livelihoods and the equitable sharing of benefits, and to safeguard natural and managed ecosystems, thus promoting innovative approaches to economic development that are socially and culturally appropriate, and environmentally sustainable.

Its World Network of Biosphere Reserves currently counts 701 sites in 124 countries all over the world, including 21 trans boundary sites.

Our mission

yellow ball has the task to find out from the population what fears, prejudices, worry, but also which ideas there are how such a MAB region should/can look like.

By carrying out 11 workshops in each municipality, we could create a collective picture of the needs.

From the point of view of the MAB application

• Collect data from citizens bringing added value to the territory proposed by the municipalities of PRO-SUD for the MAB dossier.

• Raise awareness of the region's (sustainable) development potential, the dynamics at stake and the added value.

• Detect and list stakeholders (Stakeholder mapping).

• Generate ideas for potential projects and/or activities for MAB.

• Initiate commitments and actions

• Analyze, classify and prioritize ideas/suggestions.

The objectives of the citizen workshops

• Inform and raise public awareness about the MINETT UNESCO BIOSPHERE (MAB) project

• Give participants the opportunity to express their concerns, expectations, hopes and ideas (from abstract to concrete, from negative to positive).

• Be able to analyze and define the priorities of the results in a structured way.

• To provide participants with the opportunity to exchange opinions, knowledge and learn from each other.

• To give participants the opportunity to provide solutions and/or ideas that can be achieved in the short, medium and long term.

• Initiate possible actions.

• Participate in the development of a regional & sustainable process.

• Ensure that participants can enjoy an exciting and inspiring event.

• Bringing the UNESCO label to life – “Our region”

Results

• More than 600 participants in 11 municipalities actively contributed to the project.

• 104 project proposals in the following categories: Local economy, tourism and leisure, energy and resources, education and knowledge, culture, sharing economy, agriculture and food, identity

Next steps

Whilst expecting a positive feedback and label from the UNESCO (expected Spring 2020), the communes and syndicate PRO-SUD are actively developing various ideas, based on the results.  

Project initiated by the Luxembourg Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO, this project receives financial support from the Luxembourg Ministry of Energy and Spatial Planning.

Links

Luxembourg Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO

Man & Biosphere Programme – UNESCO

PRO-SUD – Syndicate of the 11 south communes of Luxembourg

Ministère de l’Énergie et de l’Aménagement du territoire 

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