The process of creating Biosphere Reserves- An ... - Naturvårdsverket

SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REPORT 6563
The process of creating Biosphere Reserves
3.1.1 The Origin 2
The ideas behind developing the area into what today is Kristianstads Vattenrike
(Kristianstad Wetland) began to take shape at the end of the 1980s, when the representatives
for nature conservation in the area realised that the work creating the
reserves and the local nature conservation work was not enough. Initiators and the
driving force behind the whole process of developing the wetland in Kristianstad,
from an Eco Museum, to the designation of Biosphere Reserve and now most recently
the forming of naturum Vattenriket (The Wetland Visitor Centre), have been
employees within Kristianstad Municipality and the County Administrative Board
in Kristianstad. During the course of the work more people have become allied to
the process. Certain in-depth expertise in the limnological processes and the areas
ecological position, have been co-opted when needed, as well as skills related to
planning and management.
Thoughts and plans to convert the wetlands into a Biosphere Reserve began to
materialise in 1988 after a meeting with the Research Council Board, and a chance
meeting with a former student colleague of one of the Municipality’s employees
who knew about the Biosphere concept and thought it would be well suited to the
work with the Wetland. At the end of the 90s when the Wetland and the Eco Museum
had taken shape, it became clear that it was possible to breath life into the
Biosphere concept. By then the guidelines for Biosphere Reserves had also altered
in accordance with what was called the Seville Strategy. The new guidelines with
the idea of sustainability as the central concept, were considered an appropriate
link to the existing wetlands and the activities in Kristianstad’s Municipality.
Our view is that it is not first and foremost the area’s high natural value that led to
the initiative of establishing a Wetland, but rather the idea of the area’s potential as
a recreational zone close to the city, and the opportunity to organise outdoor education.
The close collaboration with the Municipality and local politicians, meant that the
plans concerning the Wetland and the Eco Museum could become a reality. Good
contact with individual local politicians, who were promoting the importance of
nature schools for the municipalities work with the sustainability issues, was of
significant assistance with regard to anchoring and legitimising the work.
The Eco Museum Kristianstad Wetland has, since 1989, created more than 20 visitor
locations in the area. In 1989 “The Eco Mobile Kristianstad Nature School” was
also started, targeting primary and high school children. In order to facilitate the
operation and make specific projects possible, the Eco Museum also developed a
logistic support function providing cars, boats and venues for researchers, inventory-takers
and graduate students among others. A website reflecting the activities
2 Kristianstad Wetland and the organisational arrangements that were the basis of the work, have been
studied closely by researchers, mainly from Stockholm’s Resilience Centre. Our evaluation stems in
part from other issues, so for a more detailed picture of the Wetland’s organisation we reference
among others, the following articles: Hahn (2011) and Hahn (2006)
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