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wo Indonesian biosphere reserves, namely Bromo-Semeru-Tengger-Arjuno in East Java and Taka Bonerate in the Selayar Islands, South Sulawesi, have been accepted as members of UNESCO'€™s Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB), an envoy has said.

'€œThe acknowledgment was ratified during the 27th meeting of MAB'€™s International Coordinating Council [ICC] at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris,'€ Indonesian Ambassador to UNESCO Fauzi Soelaiman said as quoted by Antara news agency in London on Wednesday.

Bromo-Tengger and Taka Bonerate are Indonesia'€™s ninth and 10th biosphere reserves accepted as UNESCO MAB members.

The eight other biosphere reserves are Cibodas, which was included in 1977, Komodo Island (1977), Lore Lindu (1977), Tanjung Puting (1977), Leuser (1981), Siberut (1981), Giam Siak Kecil-Batu Island (1981) and Wakatobi (2012).

'€œBiosphere reserves are sites on land, in the sea or on beaches that are managed in innovative ways to create synergy between local people and their environment,'€ said Fauzi.

He further said that biosphere reserves aimed to integrate biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources and to promote local solutions to resolve humanitarian challenges faced in the areas.

Launched in 1970, the UNESCO MAB program now has 631 members from 119 countries, including 14 biosphere reserves in the border areas between two countries, such as Tonle Sap in Cambodia, Mare aux Hippopotamus in Burkina Faso and Pantanal in Brazil.

Every year, ICC MAB, which has 34 member countries, holds a meeting to ratify new MAB members.