Creating a management plan for the Biosphere Region

Becoming Canada's 19th UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is both a prestigious honour and a great responsibility—one we are embracing with perseverance and optimism.

As the Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society, we are responsible for the management of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. As a biosphere region, our mandate is to support biodiversity conservation; facilitate education, research, and monitoring; and work with our broader community to ensure we are growing sustainably. UNESCO will be assessing our progress in these areas every 10 years and these measures of success will be based on good management and well-developed plans.

In order to further our work in these areas, we need a comprehensive and unified plan for the Átl'ka7tsem/ Howe Sound Biosphere Region to guide how we move forward. Work is well underway on the Nchu’ú7mut/Unity Plan, a land and marine use plan that is being co-created with First Nations, multi-sectoral stakeholders, and local communities through a collaborative, participatory approach.

The Nchu’ú7mut/Unity Plan, will outline our collective long-term vision for Átl'ka7tsem/ Howe Sound and a roadmap for how to get there. The contents of this plan will include an organizational/governance structure for implementing the plan and an analysis of our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). The Nchu’ú7mut/Unity Plan will list out our priorities for the biosphere region, including measurable goals and priority projects to help us achieve our vision. Performance indicators and benchmarks will help us assess our progress along the way.

We are planning for today’s realities and anticipating the needs of tomorrow as we develop the Nchu’ú7mut/Unity Plan with the following issues in mind:

  • biodiversity and conservation;
  • ecosystem restoration;
  • ecosystem services (natural capital);
  • sustainable land and resource use;
  • improving livelihoods and benefits for communities;
  • promoting green economies;
  • infrastructure development;
  • disaster reduction and risk management;
  • sustainable tourism;
  • climate change;
  • research and education;
  • local/traditional/Indigenous knowledge.

We will be using the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to guide our planning. These goals are focused on leaving no one behind by ending poverty, fighting inequality and addressing the urgency of climate change. The 17 goals have been embraced globally by governments, businesses, civil society and the general public. We all work together to build a brighter future for everyone. The pages are updated with through out engagement process. Learn more about the global goals and how we are contributing towards the goals here.

If you would like to learn more about the plan, or have a workshop, please contact us.

Click here to download the Discussion Paper and Feedback form.

Ruth SimonsHSBRIS, UNESCO