Unlocking the potential of biosphere reserves: a review of structural, institutional, and ideational challenges to transformational learning

IF 6.3 2区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability Pub Date : 2025-06-10 DOI:10.1016/j.cosust.2025.101543

Camilla Sandström , Irina Mancheva , Hjalmar Laudon

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Addressing the intertwined challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change requires rapid, intentional societal shifts. UNESCO Biosphere Reserves (BRs), established as interdisciplinary learning hubs for sustainable development, offer significant potential to bridge global commitments and local action. However, their effectiveness is hampered by structural, institutional, and perceptional/ideational challenges. This review identifies and categorizes these challenges, highlighting issues such as socioeconomic inequalities, governance constraints, and narrative complexities. Our analysis of 42 recent studies reveals that while BRs could serve as ‘living labs’ for transformative change, their impact is limited by these challenges. There are numerous indications that the development of BRs is at a critical juncture. If the identified challenges are not addressed, there is a risk that the role of BRs will be marginalized in the future, rather than evolving into key arenas that contribute to the transformative change we urgently need.

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释放生物圈保护区的潜力：对转型学习的结构、制度和理念挑战的回顾

要解决生物多样性丧失和气候变化交织在一起的挑战，就需要迅速、有意识地进行社会变革。作为跨学科的可持续发展学习中心，教科文组织生物圈保护区为弥合全球承诺和地方行动提供了巨大的潜力。然而，它们的有效性受到结构、制度和感知/观念挑战的阻碍。本综述对这些挑战进行了识别和分类，突出了社会经济不平等、治理约束和叙事复杂性等问题。我们对42项近期研究的分析表明，尽管BRs可以作为变革的“活实验室”，但它们的影响受到这些挑战的限制。许多迹象表明，BRs的发展正处于关键时刻。如果这些已确定的挑战得不到解决，未来银行的作用可能会被边缘化，而不是发展成为促进我们迫切需要的变革性变革的关键领域。

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来源期刊

Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES-ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

CiteScore

13.80

自引率

2.80%

发文量

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： "Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability (COSUST)" is a distinguished journal within Elsevier's esteemed scientific publishing portfolio, known for its dedication to high-quality, reproducible research. Launched in 2010, COSUST is a part of the Current Opinion and Research (CO+RE) suite, which is recognized for its editorial excellence and global impact. The journal specializes in peer-reviewed, concise, and timely short reviews that provide a synthesis of recent literature, emerging topics, innovations, and perspectives in the field of environmental sustainability.