A Biosphere Reserve of, by and for the local people: Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve, Saskatchewan, Canada

Biosphere Reserve (BR) is a designation under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, with emphasis on conservation, science, and education but also with increasing recognition of sustainable development. A BR... [ view full abstract ]

Biosphere Reserve (BR) is a designation under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, with emphasis on conservation, science, and education but also with increasing recognition of sustainable development. A BR designation, however, does not guarantee that these functions will work automatically. It is a challenge for hosting rural communities located in BRs to identify and implement options for sustainability.

In this presentation, we talk about the community of Hafford’s grassroots initiative, in collaboration with its neighbouring communities, to use a BR as a means to pursuing sustainability. Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve (RLBR) is located in a region challenged by environmental and socio-economic concerns resulting largely from industrialization of agriculture and depopulation. How to sustain livelihoods without negatively impacting the natural environment is a difficult mission to achieve.

The BR designation in 2000 of the Redberry Lake region was bottom-up initiative by the local people. It was not a site of broader attention, as opposed to other places such as Clayoquot Sound in British Columbia that was designated as a BR in 2000 at the same time as Redberry Lake. Without strong support from any level of government, RLBR has been faced with many on-going challenges such as the need to strengthen its function for social and economic sustainability, and to become more financially self-sufficient.

To address these challenges, RLBR has been reforming its governing structure, under which a wide range of themes including invasive species, environmentally sound agriculture, social enterprise, education and research are pursued by working groups of local people with dedicated leaders. As a result of this new round of grassroots initiatives, RLBR has created opportunities for collaboration between diverse actors, as well as increased options for action. Recent actions include the establishment of a waste management facility to collect and recycle materials such as used grain bags, aimed at both environmental and economic sustainability of the region.

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is a global program, and each national government is responsible for the operation of the program within its territory. This typically top-down program, however, can be used for conservation and livelihood improvement at the grassroots level, if local people are highly motivated to work hard and collaborate with diverse actors, as the people of RLBR demonstrate.