Intergenerational and transformative visioning for biosphere reserve effectiveness in achieving the three pillars of the Man and the Biosphere programme

Abstract

Biosphere reserves, designated under United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Man and the Biosphere programmes, are created to maintain a balance among the three pillars of the Man and the Biosphere: conservation, sustainable development, and logistical support. They are regarded as a site for testing inclusive and sustainable approaches towards socio-ecological challenges. Despite the potential of these biosphere reserves, many still struggle to fulfil their primary functions, primarily due to a lack of stakeholder participation and intergenerational engagement. These gaps, therefore, weaken the biosphere reserve’s adaptability and the legitimacy of decision-making processes, especially when the involved stakeholders have differing interests and power inequality exists. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate how intergenerational collaboration and transformative visioning can enhance the effectiveness of biosphere reserves towards achieving the three pillars of the Man and the Biosphere programme. The study adopted a qualitative and participatory approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 individuals to understand how different generations engage in governance processes that affect the effectiveness of biosphere reserves in fulfilling the three Man and the Biosphere pillars. In addition, to understand the role that intergenerational and transformative visioning can play in achieving the Man and the Biosphere pillars, a participatory workshop guided by the Nature Futures Framework was conducted to bring the diverse stakeholders to co-develop scenarios for the future of the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve. The findings indicate that intergenerational collaboration remains limited, as youth are underrepresented in the biosphere reserve's governance structure. However, when inclusive platforms were created, both the youth and the elders contributed equally, fostering trust, cultural continuity, and innovation. Most officials highlighted that inclusive intergenerational dialogue enhances the legitimacy of governance processes and helps create a balance between conservation and socio-economic development. The participatory workshop, on the other hand, allowed participating stakeholders to develop strategies to address challenges within the biosphere reserve, including biodiversity loss, human-wildlife conflict, and climate change. Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge from elders and scientific knowledge from youth is important for strengthening the biosphere reserve’s adaptive capacity and resilience.