TEHRAN – Iran has announced its readiness to host the South and Asian Biosphere Reserve Network Meeting (SACAM) next year.

During a meeting held on the sidelines of the fifth World Congress of Biosphere Reserves (WCBR), in Hangzhou, China, Iran and three other countries, namely Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, and Cambodia, have been nominated to hold the annual meeting in 2026, IRNA reported.

Created in 2002, as part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, SACAM has 56 biosphere reserves and 14 member states, including India, Iran, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Nepal, Maldives, and Sri Lanka.

An Iranian delegation led by Shina Ansari, the head of the DOE,  participated in the fifth World Congress of Biosphere Reserves (WCBR), held from September 22 to 26 in Hangzhou.

Held every 10 years, the World Network of Biosphere Reserves comes together to identify priorities, strengthen collaboration, and define a Global Action Plan for the future.

More than 2000 stakeholders—including scientists, policymakers, community leaders, entrepreneurs, and conservationists— gathered to shape the future of UNESCO’s 750+ biosphere reserves across 136 countries.

Discussions focused on the World Network of Biosphere Reserves’ contributions to the global biodiversity and sustainable development agenda, aligning efforts with key international frameworks such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the International Decade of Science for Sustainable Development.

Addressing the event, Ansari voiced the country’s readiness to foster cooperation with other countries, in line with the Hangzhou Action Plan, to promote twinning between biosphere reserve sites.

“We are ready to develop a twining mechanism between biosphere reserves in Iran and other countries worldwide to further promote collaboration on research projects, sharing expertise and knowledge, as well as boosting scientific visits,” IRNA quoted Ansari as saying.

“We highlight ecosystem-based and community-centered approaches in managing biosphere reserves so that these areas can expand their impacts beyond their borders and inspire surrounding areas,” she added.

Unfortunately, “biosphere reserves in Iran are adversely affected by heat waves, water scarcity, and climate change. We need solidarity, experience exchange, and support from the World Networks of Biosphere Reserves to strengthen their resilience.

We believe that the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) member states have the needed capacity to counter unilateralism and expand multilateralism to strengthen World Networks of Biosphere Reserves,” Ansari underlined.

Preserving the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, our common home, is a shared responsibility. These areas are not only sanctuaries for nature, but also symbols of the peaceful coexistence of humans and nature, and a bridge between modern science and traditional knowledge. They should become a center of hope and a sustainable future for our children, she said.

The official also elaborated on biosphere reserves in the country, saying, “Iran, with 13 biosphere reserves, including three wetland sites, two marine and coastal sites, two deserts and arid sites, and six mountainous areas, has always been among pioneering member states in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Biosphere reserves cover less than four percent of our national territory, which is not enough, so we are committed to expanding the network by the establishment of four more biosphere reserves.”

MT/MG