Abstract:
The Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB) responds to challenges of the Anthropocene through an explicit social-ecological approach. Implemented as a world network of biosphere reserves, MAB aims to increase [eco]system
sustainability and resilience globally, via individual model sites for learning and sustainable development. This research
provides an in-depth case study of MAB implementation in South Africa using the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve
(CWBR), established in 2007 when a key MAB guiding policy, the Madrid Action Plan came into effect. The study utilized
semi-structured in-depth interviews with strategic and operational management, and document analysis. The CWBR
prioritizes their role as a landscape coordinator, a driver of socio-economic development and site in which humans derive
benefits from healthy natural environments. The CWBR have adopted a non-profit organization cooperative governance
model in support of this vision, fulfilling the socio-economic development function primarily through successful
international partnerships. Challenges faced include a perceived lack of sufficient government support, limited stakeholder
awareness and insufficient resources for project implementation. Over reliance on the pillar of their model, the chief
executive officer in the current governance form, is an instrument in their effectiveness, yet carries significant risk. These are
learnings useful for other biosphere reserves translating an international designation for a local context.
