UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory
UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory
Intergovernmental meeting
The 10th Regional Meeting of the Arab National Committees of the Man and The Biosphere Programme (MAB) was launched being launched under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh / Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of the Emirate of Fujairah.The meeting organized by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science in the Arab States in partnership with the Fujairah Environment Authority and in close cooperation with the United Arab Emirates National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, brought together representatives of 12 Arab Member States to form the new ArabMAB steering Committee and to discuss the ArabMAB network plan and research agenda. The meeting was opened on the 14th of March 2023 in the Emirate of Fujairah by Ms. Aseela Al Mealla - Director of the Fujairah Environment Authority and Dr. Mohamed Salman Al Hammadi - Assistant Undersecretary for the Biodiversity and Aquatic Life Sector and Ms. Ibtisam Al Zaabi - Secretary General of the National Education Committee Culture, Science, Dr. Nuria Sanz – Officer in Charge at the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science in the Arab Countries, and Dr. Houria Khelifi – Chair of the Steering Committee of the ArabMAB Network. The 10th ArabMab National Committee Regional Meeting aspired to align research programs and sustainable development plans with the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, the COPs of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
The 10th Edition of the Arab MAB National Committees meeting is being held with the aim of setting pathways for effective management of biosphere reserves in the Arab region and revisiting the research agendas of the ArabMAB network to improve the livelihood of people and preserve wildlife and to cultivate a culture of living in harmony with nature. Algeria chaired the Steering Committee of the ArabMAB Network from 2017-2022. This Edition witnesses the election of the new Steering Committee and the development of a 5-year action plan 2023-2027 to strengthen and develop the MAB program in the Arab World and boost the network as natural habitats for applied research and sustainable development.
