The UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe and the abrdn Charitable Foundation have launched the third and final cycle of their joint project ‘Promoting sustainable development through UNESCO’s programmes and sites’.
The abrdn Charitable Foundation established a Powerful Planet partnership with UNESCO in 2022. The three-year partnership focuses on the promotion of research and education through innovative approaches to environmental safeguarding and climate action at 15 UNESCO-designated sites in Europe and North America.
On 12 September, representatives of the 15 sites gathered in Venice, Italy, at the premises of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe. The event presented the sites’ projects, highlighted the progress achieved by the second-cycle sites, and showcased the sustainability solutions of the first-cycle sites.[1]
“We are delighted to be entering the third year of our partnership with UNESCO, and to be celebrating the successes achieved so far. With the backdrop of the escalating climate and nature crises, UNESCO is brilliantly placed to facilitate sharing the learning from the projects supported through our partnership, and we continue to be inspired by this work in our pursuit of sustainable solutions. We are excited to see what the next year brings .”
Sarah Moody, abrdn’s Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer
Five exciting new projects
The five new sites selected for the third cycle presented their projects. These are:
Central Balkan Biosphere Reserve – Bulgaria
The project ‘Study on forest ecosystems in mountain water catchments in Central Balkan Biosphere Reserve’ focuses on assessing the health of forest ecosystems in the Biosphere Reserve. By analysing the long-term hydrological regime of the Cherni Osam River and using field surveys, remote sensing and ecosystem services assessment, the study aims to create guidelines for the sustainable management of natural resources in similar watersheds.
Central Balkan Biosphere Reserve
Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Reserve – Canada
The project ‘MABR Climate Change Realities: Local and regional climate change impacts in the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region’ seeks to establish a place-based understanding of climate-change experiences, perspectives and impacts in the MABR. By enhancing climate literacy and fostering collaboration, the project aims to promote targeted actions for resilience and adaptation in the face of climate challenges.
Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Reserve
Vis Archipelago UNESCO Global Geopark – Croatia
The project ‘Research, protection and sustainable use of fresh groundwater of the Vis Archipelago UNESCO Global Geopark’ aims to find a solution to the absence of water supply on one island of the archipelago (Biševo), by trying to identify a potential karst aquifer through hydrogeological research methodologies.
Vis Archipelago UNESCO Global Geopark
Bükk region UNESCO Global Geopark
The project ‘Cave monitoring associated with a climate reconstruction from the Szent István-cave, Hungary’ focuses on reconstructing the evolution of past climate and environmental changes, shedding light on the main changes and the driving mechanisms. By integrating climatological data with modern climate records, future climate trends can be better predicted and the impacts of anthropogenic activities on these processes can be assessed.
Estrela UNESCO Global Geopark – Portugal
The project ‘A Geosite of my own’ aims to develop a strategy for participatory monitoring of geosites’ conservation and ecosystem services through innovative digital tools and the involvement of youth, local communities and visitors to the site.
“The unique public-private partnership between UNESCO and the abrdn Charitable Foundation illustrates the instrumental role that the private sector can play in driving innovation towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.”
Magdalena Landry, Director, UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe
Positive benefits
The event provided a valuable platform to explore the sustainability and scalability of the projects already underway, drawing promising insights directly from the pilot sites, particularly those from the first cycle. Representatives of the second-cycle sites, approaching the completion of their projects, also presented their achievements, highlighted local impacts, and shared best practices with potential for broader application.
The full list of the first- and second-cycle sites can be found in the appendix. All of the projects involve UNESCO-designated sites with research teams working to promote innovative approaches to sustainable development and climate-change mitigation towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.
Other highlights of the Venice event
Representatives from the designated sites participated in a series of peer learning sessions, roundtables and parallel working groups focused on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One of the key outcomes of the partnership has been information sharing across the projects – the UNESCO networks and science programmes are perfectly placed to support this knowledge transfer. All participating sites exchanged hands-on experience, shared knowledge, and discussed good practices, highlighting each project’s contribution to achieving the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs.
Appendix - List of sites
First-cycle sites
- With the project ‘Pianosa Island (Tuscan Archipelago-Italy): hydrological processes and water resources sustainability in a climate-changing Mediterranean’.
- With the project ‘Monitoring marine litter and generating fit-for-purpose data through a participatory science approach in Asterousia Biosphere Reserve'.
- With the project ‘St. Naum springs – Biological and Ecosystem Services Inventory (SN-BESI)’.
- With the project ‘Dry meadows and Kozjansko and Obsotelje Biosphere Reserve’.
- Also known as the Living Coast, with the project ‘Sustainable Management of Urban Aquifers’.
Second-cycle sites
- With the project ‘Study of exchanges between Karst and rivers in the Célé valley’, is responding to the threats posed by climate change, notably in karstic environments.
- With the project ‘Reducing occurrence of forest fires in National Park Durmitor and Tara River Basin’, is implementing modern solutions to create an early-warning system to detect fires.
- With the project ‘Sustainability at work! Research and community driven action for sustainable development in the Hațeg Country UGGp’, is leveraging the power of citizen science to address the critical issue of assessing water quality.
- Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Reserve – United KingdomWith the project ‘Whole Farm Plans for Agricultural Natural Capital Resilience: Audit Methodology’, is supporting farmers and land managers in the Biosphere Reserve to manage their holdings more sustainably.
- Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve – USAWith the project ‘An Atlas of Climate & Environmental Change for Champlain-Adirondack and Frontenac Arch Biosphere Networks’, is developing a living Atlas of Climate and Environment, which is expected to further support policy-making and facilitate stakeholder engagement.
Key data
- 56 key partners, including universities, research institutes, local authorities, schools and NGOs
- Over 1700 students have benefited from the educational activities
- 515 species have been monitored and inventoried
- 100 educators have benefited from training activity
- 12 platforms/models have been developed – including digital tools
- 41 research activities have been conducted
- UNESCO’s Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe oversees the overall project and works with UNESCO designated sites through UNESCO’s scientific programmes (Man and the Biosphere Programme, Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission) to promote innovative approaches to sustainable development in implementing the 2030 Agenda.