Quirimbas National Park applies to become a World Biosphere Reserve

The Mozambican government is putting forward Quirimbas National Park as a candidate for UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve status.

A UNESCO communique released in Maputo this Thursday states that the application will be submitted immediately to the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Secretariat in Paris for evaluation by the International Coordination Committee.

The final decision will be taken by UNESCO at the next annual meeting of the Coordination Committee in the first half of 2018, the press release said.

“The application of the Quirimbas National Park to the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve constitutes the full integration of Mozambique within the framework of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Program,” the text reads.

Mozambique’s willingness to cooperate internationally

Mozambique has been working towards this goal as a national objective expressing the country’s desire to cooperate internationally in a committed and responsible way in favour of the Sustainable Development Goals, the note adds.

UNESCO says the application signals Mozambique’s intention to participate actively in the World Biosphere Reserve Network, and in particular in thematic and geographic networks such as the African Network of Biosphere Reserves (AfriMAB) and the World Network of Reserves of the Biosphere in Islands and Coastal Areas (WNICBR), reinforcing the country’s presence on the international sustainable development stage.

The note describes the reserves of the biosphere as spaces that aim to combine the conservation of natural values, species, ecosystems and marine and terrestrial landscapes, along with their appreciation and integration in the model of development based on local communities, recognising their identity, history and culture.

Park created in 2002

Quirimbas National Park in northern Mozambique covers over 750,000 hectares and was created in 2002 with the support of the French Agency for Development and the international NGO World Wildlife Fund (WWF) English) for its environmental and architectural value.

Quirimbas National Park in Mozambique.

Source: Deutsche Welle

Photo: Bluezzz

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