About UNESCO Man & Biosphere
The Maasheggen is a Unesco biosphere reserve - and not, as is often thought, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Whereas a Unesco World Heritage Site focuses primarily on preserving what is there, often for centuries, the Unesco Man and Biosphere program encourages residents of an area to innovatively combine the protection of nature and landscape with the social and economic development of their own living environment.
UNESCO status is not an end in itself, but a means to strengthen and expand cooperation in De Maasheggen . It helps bring all stakeholders on the same page so they can work together to develop and enhance the area.
Every ten years, the international UNESCO committee assesses whether an area still meets the criteria for UNESCO status.
Global network
There are 759 Man & Biosphere reserves in 136 countries worldwide (as of 2024). These areas serve as testing grounds for sustainable development.
For a long time, the Maasheggen was the only Man and Biosphere Reserve in the Netherlands. In July 2024, UNESCO also designated KempenBroek as a Man and Biosphere Reserve. KempenBroek is located partly in the Netherlands and partly in Belgium. This is Belgium’s first biosphere reserve and the Netherlands’ second.
Principles
UNESCO's Man and Biosphere program translates the principles of sustainable development to a local context and connects science, society and policy. Local governments, residents, businesses, schools, knowledge institutions and NGOs all contribute to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015.
More about UNESCO biosphere reserves on the Dutch UNESCO website as well as on the international UNESCO website.
Zoning
The map published here provides insight into the current delimitation and zoning of the Unesco Biosphere Reserve De Maasheggen.
In a UNESCO biosphere reserve, the zones indicate different ways of using and protecting the area.
The core zone (red) is a protected area dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity, ecosystems, and genetic diversity.
The buffer zone (yellow) surrounds the core zones and allows activities consistent with ecological management.
The transition zone (blue), the outermost zone, is an area designated for sustainable development, where economic and social activities take place with respect for nature.
