Established in response to the call to strengthened cooperation between UNESCO Member States of Asia Pacific in the implementation of the Action Plan for Biosphere Reserves and based on the successful collaboration experience of the Cooperative Scientific Study of East Asian Biosphere Reserves, the East Asian Biosphere Reserve Network (EABRN) was officially launched in 1995. The five founding members of the Network, i.e. China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Japan, Mongolia and the Republic of Korea (ROK), was later reinforced by a new member, the Russian Federation, in 1998. The EABRN Secretariat is based in the UNESCO Beijing Office since 2003.

EABRN is one of the regional networks supporting the UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, with three priority themes for cooperation: eco-tourism, conservation policy, and trans-boundary conservation. EABRN facilitates information exchange between reserves and governing bodies, and conducts regular regional meetings on issues of common concern. It also serves as a mechanism to facilitate training and site-to-site cooperation.

EABRN has conducted eleven network meetings since 1994. The meetings, conducted through workshops, provided very good opportunities for the experts and BR managers to exchange their experiences in biological diversity conservation, particularly, the implementation of the Seville Strategy and the Statutory Framework of Biosphere Reserves. Particular subjects focused include ecotourism development, conservation policies and transboundary conservation cooperation. The results of cooperative scientific studies such as tourism management were presented at these meetings. The last meeting was held in November 2009 in Wuyishan, China. The 12th meeting is now scheduled to be held in ROK next year.

EABRN Network pays special attention to the capacity building of BR managers based on modern technologies and spatial tools. So far, three EABRN training courses on GIS applications to BR management were held in 2004, 2006 and 2009 and a new one is in plan for early 2011, in cooperation with Chinese Academy of Sciences.

A BR atlas, one each for China, DPRK, Mongolia and Japan were published to share the information of each member country and as promotion of the BR concept to the general public. The Secretariat will work with RO Korea and Russian Federation to complete the Atlas for both countries as the next phases. 

Objectives of EABRN:

• To share BR management experience, including zoning, biodiversity conservation, and socio-economic development experience.
• To exchange information on the major functions of BRs in member countries.
• To promote cooperative research on biodiversity conservation and socio-economic development in and around BR.
• To strengthen cooperation between EABRN and member countries, and encourage international and regional cooperation with other Networks (EuroMAB, SeaBRnet, etc) and IUCN.

Activities of EABRN:

• Regularly organize EABRN meetings combined with field evaluations of Biosphere Reserves by members and experts attending EABRN Meetings
• Carry out small-scale research projects, cooperative scientific studies in East Asia and publication of books and a Biosphere Reserve Atlas
• Regular regional capacity building training courses

EABRN Network Meetings

EABRN Capacity Building Activities

EABRN Small Scale Projects 

Information brochure on East Asian Biosphere Reserve Network

Data Base on Biosphere Reserves under EABRN:

List of Biosphere Reserves of China

List of Biosphere Reserves of DPR Korea

List of Biosphere Reserves of Japan

List of Biosphere Reserves of Mongolia

List of Biosphere Reserves of RO Korea

List of Biosphere Reserves of Russian Federation

Useful Links:

Japanese Coordinating Committee for MAB 

MAB National Committee of the Republic of Korea 

East Asian Federation of Ecological Societies(EAFES)