Biosphere reserves and rural development

This paper examines some FAO activities in the field of protected areas which are related to the biosphere reserve concept. It emphasizes issues of emerging concern for regional planning and rural development, including systems of protected area, involvement of rural people, in situ conservation of genetic resources, institutional aspects and training. It concludes that additional efforts are needed to integrate biosphere reserve into national systems of protected areas, that strengthened legal and instituctional mechanisms are essential, that achieving in situ conservation og genetic resources will require an adjustment to existing planning and management principles, and that more attention must be given to integrating protected areas into the rural development process.