What is our biosphere?

a celebration of community and environment

The Noosa Biosphere

What is a Biosphere?

• UNESCO designation designed to promote and demonstrate a balanced relationship between humans and the environment

• Focus on conservation, sustainable development and learning• Over 560 biospheres exist worldwide • Intended to be a testing grounds for actions / experimentation• A celebration of a community that attempts to live in a sustainable

manner – that works at getting the balance right• Some think of it as World Heritage Status without the rules and

regulations• In some ways it is a reward for past actions and a challenge to us

to keep on improving and doing things better.

The Noosa Biosphere

What is a Biosphere? (continued)

• There is no “one sized fits all” model of a biosphere ... each is different, although there are some over-riding principles / core aims:

• Conservation• Sustainable development• Logistics support [learning]

• Additionally, UNESCO’s Madrid Action Plan 2008 focuses Biosphere plans for 2008-2013 on:

• Accelerated climate change with consequences for societies and ecosystems;

• Accelerated loss of biological and cultural diversity with unexpected consequences that impact the ability of ecosystems to continue to provide services critical for human wellbeing;

• Rapid urbanisation as a driver of environmental change.

The Noosa Biosphere

Noosa achieved biosphere status in September 2007

• The Noosa Biosphere area is based on the local government boundary of the former Noosa Shire, and the adjacent coastal waters to 3 kilometres offshore.

• It was the first Biosphere in Queensland ... now joined by the Great Sandy Biosphere

• The total permanent population within the Biosphere Reserve is approximately 50,000 people, with a seasonal population of up to 65,000.

• There is a diverse mix of coastal and hinterland communities

The Noosa Biosphere

Why Noosa?

UNESCO in declaring the Noosa Biosphere Reserve particularly noted:– a sophisticated level of human settlement and a high level of

inter-relationship with the natural environment

– the strong sense of community involvement and community co-ordination over a broad range of human settlement and natural environment issues.

An important component was the Noosa Planning Scheme which had been adopted by the former Noosa Council.

The Noosa Biosphere

Noosa Biosphere Limited was established in December 2008• Noosa Biosphere’s organisational focus is through Noosa

Biosphere Limited (NBL) with links to UNESCO MAB secretariat in Paris.

• NBL is a company owned by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council and directed by a 9 member board drawn from the community, sector boards and Council.

• NBL’s role is to foster partnerships with Noosa organisations , businesses and community to help create a sustainable Noosa.

• NBL has no legislative powers – it relies on the awareness of the community to change, protect and adapt to sustain

biosphere values and principles

“Your Noosa Biosphere will be a learning

community that cultivates harmony between people and

nature, for both conservation and

sustainable development.”

We define sustainability as meeting the needs of the

present without compromising the ability

of future generations to meet their needs.

There is a main board and 6 sector boards operating under the Noosa

Biosphere umbrella

Biosphere Governance

Board

Social Board

Economic Board

Education, Research &

Development Bd

Tourism Noosa

Environment Board

Culture Board

Michael Donovan

Chair Noosa Biosphere

The Noosa Biosphere

“Sites of excellence to explore and demonstrate approaches to

conservation and sustainable development on a regional basis”

To promote collection, collation, syntheses, and dissemination of lessons learned across the world

from more than 30 years of work in the Man and Biosphere program

The Noosa Biosphere

“Pointing the way to a more sustainable future”

Linking UNESCO’s research, training and capacity building

agenda with issues of conservation and sustainable development, mitigation/response to climate change and socio-economic wellbeing of communities.

The Noosa Biosphere

“Spaces for reconciling people and Nature”

Landscape with outstanding environmental values in need of

wise conservation and management

“Knowledge from the past with the modern scientific understanding”

Learning Living Laboratories for Sustainability

.

www.noosabiosphere.org.au

“Working together as a partnership of interests with the community, industry and research / education groups and tourism”

.

“We will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand.We will understand only what we are taught.

Baba Dioum ~ noted African environmentalist

The Noosa Biosphere

Ask us about our biosphere ...

Thank you