RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia expands the management of its 21 biosphere reserves by aligning conservation policies with UNESCO’s Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan (HSAP) 2026–2035. The initiative focuses on integrating ecosystem services into conservation planning to improve sustainability, funding access, and biodiversity protection.

The effort was highlighted ahead of a national focus group discussion organized by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). The forum is expected to bring together ministries, regional governments, universities, conservation managers, and development partners involved in biosphere reserve programs.

Indonesia currently has 21 biosphere reserves under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, covering ecosystems from Sumatra’s tropical forests to marine areas in Southwest Papua. These reserves provide ecological functions including water regulation, biodiversity conservation, and natural resource support for local communities.

BRIN Deputy for Development Policy, R Nunung Nuryartono, said the transition from the Lima Action Plan 2016–2025 to HSAP 2026–2035 requires stronger and more adaptive conservation governance. He noted that biosphere reserves are increasingly expected to support environmental protection alongside economic and technological development.

“The Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan positions Biosphere Reserves not only as conservation areas, but also as living laboratories for nature-based solutions, strengthening inclusive green economies, and digital transformation in biodiversity monitoring,” Nunung said in a written statement on Thursday, May 21, 2026.

He added that ecosystem-based management could help reduce the risk of environmental degradation while supporting regional and national fiscal resilience. According to him, the approach could also strengthen local product branding and expand financing opportunities linked to biosphere reserve areas.

Meanwhile, National MAB UNESCO Indonesia Executive Director, Virni Budi Arifanti, said biosphere reserve management still faces challenges, including fragmented biodiversity data, uneven governance capacity, and limited funding support from central and regional governments. She said the discussion forum is intended to build a shared understanding among stakeholders regarding HSAP-based management practices.

The forum will also discuss ecosystem service integration in periodic review documents, institutional strengthening, conservation financing, and biosphere reserve branding strategies. The hybrid event also aims to improve synergy between the conservation managements as well as central and regional governments.