International
Global Collaboration
A key objective of UNESCO Biospheres is to learn from the experiences of others. The Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership takes part in international projects, piloting new ideas and initiatives that can then be rolled out more widely across Scotland, the UK and other parts of the world.
Read more about the SHAPE Project: Sustainable Heritage Areas: Partnerships for Ecotourism. A three-year project funded by the European Commission’s Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme, SHAPE’s goal was to help local authorities, businesses and communities develop innovative ecotourism initiatives which would help preserve local natural and cultural assets while generating economic value. The first group of Biosphere Guides were trained in 2019 thanks to support from the SHAPE Project.
EuroMAB
The GSA Biosphere Partnership actively seeks opportunities to network with other UNESCO designations around the world. The EuroMAB Network includes all European and North American member states which participate in UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme – that’s 36 countries, and more than 300 UNESCO Biospheres. It is a platform for sharing knowledge and experience of sustainable development, as well as a collective tool for supporting best practice.
The biennial EuroMAB conference has been running since 1986 and officers from the GSA UNESCO Biosphere attend each one. The 2019 EuroMAB Conference was held in Dublin, where we were asked to chair a workshop on the role that UNESCO Biospheres can play in engaging with and supporting local sustainable enterprise. In 2022 we were hosted by Biosphärenpark Nockberge in Austria for a week of learning on the theme of strengthening cross-border cultural ties (conference report here). In 2024 EuroMAB was in Germany’s largest inland Biosphere Reserve, Elbe River Landscape, where we were were proud to deliver a presentation to international colleagues on Merrick Scottish Blackface Knitwear.
Learning Journeys
The GSA Biosphere Partnership hosts visits from international partners wanting to learn about initiatives we are leading here in Galloway and Southern Ayrshire, that they may be able to try back at home. We take our own stakeholders on reciprocal visits, where they can learn from international UNESCO Biospheres and bring new ideas on sustainable development back to southwest Scotland.
Read more about our exchanges with the Rhon Biosphere (Germany), North Karelia Biosphere (Finland), and Urdaibai Biosphere in the Basque region of Spain.
Our most recent learning journeys have been with Sweden’s 7 UNESCO Biospheres. The GSA Biosphere Partnership hosted Swedish Coordinators in spring 2023, and Nedre Dalälven‘s governing board in the autumn. Our regions share many of the same priorities, particularly to embed sustainability in farming, forestry, tourism, and jobs.
Research & Innovation
It was announced in August 2023 that the GSA Biosphere was one of five sites selected to participate in an international peer learning project, ‘Promoting sustainable development through UNESCO’s programmes and sites‘. The GSA Biosphere Partnership was awarded a US$25,000 grant from UNESCO, funded by the abrdn Charitable Foundation, to support a 12-month project developing a holistic methodology for assessing natural capital on farms, for which we worked with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) examining ‘pillars’ of natural capital including biodiversity, carbon capture and soil health.
The project analysed over 100 audit tools to find those best suited to use on farms and estates, aiming to halt degradation of natural habitats and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving profitability of farm businesses. Representatives of the GSA Biosphere Partnership were proud to deliver presentations the resulting Natural Capital Audit Methodology at the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe in September 2024.
Our international projects frequently include partnership activity with the UK National Commission for UNESCO and the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. We were privileged to welcome representatives from both organisations to the GSA Biosphere in summer 2023 as part of our 10th Anniversary celebrations. Read more here, and if you’re planning a visit, take inspiration from our Ambassador’s Tour, a self-guided itinerary based on the visit of the UK Ambassador to UNESCO, Anna Nsubuga.