Improving the relationship between people and nature for a sustainable post-pandemic Southeast Asia: Biosphere Reserves gather in Rinjani-Lombok, Indonesia

"The Southeast Asian MAB Community continues to thrive, to grow, to expand and to reach new heights of achievement - in spite of the pandemic", said Hans Dencker Thulstrup during the opening of the 13^th meeting of the Southeast Asian Biosphere Reserves Network held online and Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.

Gathering representatives of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) community from across Southeast Asia in a blended virtual and in-person format, the event marked the first in-person gathering of Indonesian Biosphere Reserve community since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking on behalf of the Director of UNESCO Jakarta, Mr. Mohamed Djelid, Mr. Thulstrup acknowledged the severe impact of the pandemic on the region's people and economies, taking particular note of communities that depend on tourism for their livelihood.

The event took place during the 50^th years anniversary of Man and Biosphere (MAB) programme, an event celebrated by Biosphere Reserves around the world. Under the theme "It's about life", the anniversary year stresses the role of Biosphere Reserve in advancing an improved relationship between people and nature.

Expanding the geographical scope beyond Southeast Asia, the meeting included a special session featuring presentations other parts of Asia and the Pacific. Delegates from the Maldives and Kazakhstan provided updates from the East, South and Central Asian MAB networks - highlighting new Biosphere Reserve achievements and challenges from low-lying atolls to high mountains.

During a special session dedicated to the future of tourism in Indonesian Biosphere Reserves, leading experts debated sustainable tourism as a post-pandemic recovery strategy. Particular focus was placed on nature-based tourism, adventure tourism and other alternative forms of tourism engaging local people and communities as key stakeholders.

The role that Biosphere Reserves play in improving human-nature relations was also central to UNESCO's contributions to the discussion. As a contribution to the overall topic of the event "Ecosystem Services and Community Empowerment towards Sustainable Biosphere Reserve Management," UNESCO introduced new and emerging research on Biosphere Reserve governance, climate change monitoring activities, youth engagement, and sustainable water management.

The event concluded with a combined in-person and virtual field trip was held on 17 November, integrating activities for both live and virtual participants through visits to four different live locations across the island of Lombok.

The meeting and associated events were hosted by the Provincial Government of West Nusa Tenggara with the Indonesian MAB National Committee, facilitated by the SeaBRnet Secretariat at UNESCO Office Jakarta and supported by the Government of Japan.

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