The National Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Committee is the national focal point for UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme. This is an inter-governmental programme of interdisciplinary research on Man and the Biosphere, which was established by UNESCO in 1971. National MAB Committees have been established in many countries, including Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka National Committee is appointed every three years with the approval of the Minister of Science and Technology and functions at the National Science Foundation. |
| Role of the MAB National Committee |
- The MAB National Committee is responsible for the activities making up the national contribution of the country to the international Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB) in the field of biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, capacity building and information sharing, and in particular in promoting the biosphere reserve concept, the World Network of Biosphere Reserves and its constituent regional networks.
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- In co-operation with the UNESCO National Commissions, it serves as a liaison between the different institutions and ministries concerned by the MAB Programme and UNESCO (MAB Secretariat, Division of Ecological Sciences and field offices). It also serves to liaise with the national structures responsible for the other UNESCO programmes in environment and development, i.e. the IGCP, IHP, IOC and MOST, with a view to develop joint activities, as appropriate.
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- It ensures the national participation, as a member in the sessions of the MAB International Co-ordinating Council.
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| The MAB National Committee should also |
- be associated with research on and conservation of natural resources and land use planning at the national level;
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- be consulted on the participation of the State as appropriate in other international programmes in the field of ecology (in particular the programmes carried out in collaboration with MAB) and in the implementation at the national level of the main Conventions (Ramsar Wetlands Convention, World Heritage Convention and Conventions on Biological Diversity and Convention to combat Desertification) and Agenda 21, and related regional initiatives.
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Composition of MAB National Committee |
Functioning |
| Members |
