UNESCO designated Atl'ka7tsem/Howe Sound a Biosphere Region
Ottawa, September 15, 2021 – Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound has been declared a Biosphere Region by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), the 19th Canadian region to receive this honor.
As the world faces the harsh reality of climate change, the Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound Biosphere Region is a compelling example of how dedicated communities, researchers and decision makers can come together to find sustainable solutions that benefit both people and the environment. Building on strong foundations, this community-led initiative will reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use and celebrate the region’s natural and cultural heritage.
We're excited to welcome the Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound Biosphere Region to the Canadian Biosphere Reserves Association. As a network of now 19 biosphere regions designated by UNESCO across Canada, we inspire a positive future by connecting people and nature today. Together, we work at the local level towards biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and reconciliation. Congratulations to the team that has stewarded this nomination process and to all those that have contributed their knowledge, passion, and experience.
– Rebecca Hurwitz, Chair, Canadian Biosphere Reserves Association
Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound is one of Canada’s southernmost fjords and home to more than 84 species of fish and invertebrates, including the rare glass sponge reefs thought to be extinct. The Skwxkwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and other Coast Salish peoples have made their home in the region since time immemorial and witnessed its devastation by industrial activities and poor management of the area’s natural resources. Joining forces with other key stakeholders, they are key collaborators in co-creating the vision for the Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound Biosphere Region, a vision that will revitalize the region and find innovative solutions to manage its resources, while safeguarding its sustainability for future generations.
The Canadian Commission for UNESCO is proud to be able to announce the designation of Canada’s 19th UNESCO biosphere region. This prestigious designation has been achieved after many years of hard work by the team. UNESCO biosphere regions are important areas where local communities find innovative ways to protect biodiversity and at the same time promote sustainable development. Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound is an international model for how humans and nature can live together and is well deserving of UNESCO designation.
– Roda Muse, Secretary-General, Canadian Commission for UNESCO
A national network from coast to coast, Canada’s UNESCO biosphere regions are also places of learning and reconciliation. Diverse knowledge systems, including those of Indigenous peoples, come together to inform decisions about the harmonious management of these regions’ ecosystems and biodiversity. Together, they span over 235,000 square kilometers within the traditional territories of over 50 Indigenous nations and enhance the lives of over 2.3 million Canadians.
My hope is that it will effectively bring all communities in Átl’ka7tsem together for effective decision making but also to help people get out on the Land. Building that connection, to the territory and the Land, will help people better honour and to respect the environment but also the Life that lives in that environment. Átl’ka7tsem is really about beauty and hope, as much as it is about sustainable development.
– Joyce Williams, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw Councillor and Co-Chair of Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society Board
This year marks the 50th anniversary of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme. Since 1971, the World Network of UNESCO Biosphere Regions has been building improving the relationships between human and nature by designating 714 regions in 129 countries. In Canada, Mont-St-Hilaire became the first Biosphere Region with its designation in 1978.
Please visit our Online Media Kit containing an information sheet, map, high-resolution photography and video b-roll.
Note
While UNESCO uses the term “Biosphere Reserves”, in Canada, it has been replaced by “Biosphere Regions” for two reasons: 1) It suggests that it is land where human development is excluded. On the contrary, these are innovative places that find local solutions for people and nature to thrive together. They are also places for reconciliation in action: reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples, and reconciliation between people and the lands and waters; 2) The word has negative associations with the reserve system set out in the Indian Act.
Contact
Vanessa Poulin-Gladu
Manager, Public Affairs
Canadian Commission for UNESCO
613-862-1637
vanessa.poulin-gladu@ccunesco.ca