The news that hit the headlines a few days ago: The Mura River Biosphere Reserve was designated at the annual conference of UNESCO's Man and Biosphere Programme.

The newcomer among the UNESCO’s biosphere reserves is The Mura River Biosphere Reserve, located in the eastern part of Slovenia. This biosphere reserve includes the largest preserved complex of floodplains in Slovenia, “where the interweaving of natural factors and human presence has created an exception cultural riverine landscape”. The mouth of the Mura River stretches across several European countries, including Slovenia. Mura River is often nicknamed as the European Amazon. 

UNESCO biosphere reserves are areas comprising terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems. Each reserve promotes solutions reconciling the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use. Biosphere reserves are ‘Science for Sustainability support sites’ – special places for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems, including conflict prevention and management of biodiversity.

Biosphere reserves are nominated by national governments and remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of the states where they are located. Their status is internationally recognized.

There are 686 biosphere reserves in 122  countries, including 20 transboundary sites. Slovenia has 4 biosphere reserves on UNESCO list: Julian Alps, the Karst, Kozjansko&Obsotelje and since recently also Mura River.