Man and the Biosphere Programme(MAB)
Meaning of MAB's Logo
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Blue
Both fresh water on the land and water at sea -
Green
Forests, shrublands, and grasslands -
White
A snow-covered mountain that holds water and slowly sends it back to another system or sea -
Red
Desert and the land that requires caution in terms of water use
Founded in 1971, the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB), which is primarily referred to as simply "MAB" is "an intergovernmental program that aims to promote multidisciplinary research and capacity building for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments throughout the world.”
The program has designated "biosphere reserves," one of the top three areas protected by UNESCO, since 1976. The UNESCO General Conference elects a total of 34 countries to organize the MAB International Co-ordinating Council (MAB-ICC), which conducts tasks such as providing guidance, supervision, and coordination for the planning and implementation of MAB projects while making final decisions on whether to approve the designation of biosphere reserves.
The UNESCO Division of Ecological & Earth Sciences serves as a global secretariat for MAB projects. The MAB projects of individual countries are carried out by the MAB National Committee. Currently, 160 countries have established a MAB National Committee, and in Korea, the “MAB National Committee of the Republic of Korea" launched in 1980 to promote MAB projects such as designating and providing consultation for biosphere reserves.
