Protected areas: biosphere areas

Data presents the external borders of Sweden’s biosphere areas. Biosphere areas are about nature conservation and sustainable development in a new way. People should be able to live and develop in areas at the same time as society can test new knowledge and practice when it comes to sustainably managing the relationship between man and nature – both to use and preserve. In Sweden, biosphere areas are complementary to cultural and nature reserves, national parks and other designations of areas with high natural and cultural values. Decisions on biosphere reserves do not in themselves provide protection in the legal sense. Nor does it provide for any restriction or extension of requirements on existing protected areas. As of June 2015, there were 651 biosphere reserves in 120 countries. The number of areas is growing by 10-20 per year. Biosphere areas are part of a global network: The World Network of Biosphere Reserves. In the Nordic region, we have had biosphere areas since the 1970s. There are currently seven biosphere areas in the Nordic region, five of which are located in Sweden: Kristianstads Vattenrike, Vänerskärgården with Kinnekulle, Riverscape Lower Dalälven, Blekinge Arkipelag and Östra Vätterbranterna. In addition, there are two biosphere candidate areas: Voxnadalen and Vindelälven-Juhtatdahka.