Earlier this month, the world marked the International Day of Biosphere Reserves (3^rd November) – a day dedicated to celebrating the 748 UNESCO-designated regions that safeguard biodiversity, while supporting sustainable livelihoods across the planet.

  This year’s celebration carried special significance, coming shortly after the release of a new UNESCO report at the 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves in Hangzhou, China. The report highlights how Biosphere Reserves are emerging as key implementation mechanisms of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF), a landmark international agreement adopted in 2022 to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2050.

 “Biosphere Reserves are connected through a global network that crosses borders and cultures, fostering exchange, solidarity and hope. We call on governments, partners, and citizens worldwide to recognise and invest in their potential” – António Abreu, Director of the UNESCO Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences and Secretary of the MAB Programme

  The KM-GBF sets out 23 global targets, including protecting 30 percent of land and sea areas by 2030, restoring degraded ecosystems and integrating biodiversity into all sectors of society. As a signatory to this Framework, South Africa has committed to setting national biodiversity targets and reporting on progress toward achieving them. This puts renewed emphasis onto the work of landscape partnerships such as the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region (K2C), one of South Africa’s ten recognised Biosphere Reserves.

  K2C’s Contribution to Global Goals

  Covering 2.6 million hectares stretching from the Letaba River in the north to the Sabie River in the south, and from the Drakensberg escarpment to the Kruger National Park, the K2C Biosphere is a living example of how people and nature can thrive together. Through its Catchment, Pro-Nature Livelihoods, Protected Area Expansion, and Community Engagement and Learning Programmes, K2C is building local ecosystem and community resilience, and directly contributing to South Africa’s biodiversity targets in the process.

  These programmes connect government, NGO’s, the private sector, communities, researchers, farmers and the public to co-designed, locally relevant solutions, from water security, rangeland restoration and sustainable agriculture to eco-tourism and leadership development.

  “The work done by K2C, together with our partners, shows that biodiversity goals are not abstract metrics – they are quantified measures of the impact of our projects on the people and landscapes that make up this region,” says Booth. “Each hectare of alien vegetation cleared, each small business built around nature-positive livelihoods, and each local partnership is a building block towards achieving not only South Africa’s commitments under the KM-GBF, but a better, more sustainable future in the K2C landscape and beyond.”

  Recognition at National Level

  In September 2025, the Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment visited K2C’s Demonstration Site in Phiring Village; to learn first-hand how agro-ecology and nature-positive livelihood initiatives are improving the resilience of both the landscape and people at Phiring, all the while driving biodiversity outcomes. He then showcased this community-led example on the global stage at the World Congress in China.

  More recently, the Deputy Minister has been heard referencing the impactful work of Biosphere Reserves, including K2C, calling for stronger government and organisational support.

  His recognition underscores a crucial point: while Biosphere Reserves are internationally endorsed by UNESCO and recognised as effective implementation tools for achieving biodiversity objectives, in South Africa they currently rely heavily on partnerships and self-funding to continue their work.

  Across much of the world, national governments provide core funding to Biosphere Reserves, recognising their central role in delivering on global biodiversity targets. Strengthening this model in South Africa has the potential to unlock even greater impact and long-term sustainability for the country’s network of Biosphere Reserves.

  From the Lowveld to the World

  The showcasing of K2C at the World Congress of Biosphere Reserves in China demonstrated how local action fuels global progress. In presenting K2C’s its integrated approach to conservation and development, the Deputy Minister joined hundreds of delegates aligning their work with the new Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan (2026–2035) – the roadmap for the coming decade of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme.

  But this global recognition also arrives at a pivotal time. As the world moves toward 2030, when the first KM-GBF targets come due, one message is increasingly clear: landscape-level partnerships remain essential to achieving global biodiversity goals. Yet the long-term success of these partnerships relies on stable, strategic financial support. This global and national recognition offers a hopeful opportunity to build on what is working – to scale what is delivering results and to ensure that South Africa’s Biosphere Reserves – proven engines of innovation, inclusion and sustainability – can continue their work with confidence.

  “The K2C Biosphere is part of a worldwide network built on collaboration, learning and change,” Booth concludes. “If South Africa continues to invest in these living laboratories of sustainability, we can show that nature and development can truly coexist – here and everywhere.”

If you want to read more, have a look at the UNESCO report: New report shows UNESCO Biosphere Reserves advanced biodiversity targets, and the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region: www.kruger2canyons.org.