UNESCO Declares Haiti’s First Biosphere Reserve

26 February 2013: The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has announced that La Selle, in Haiti, has been officially declared as Haiti's first biosphere reserve.

According to UNESCO, the La Selle area includes a number of different ecosystems and protected areas including La Visite, one of the country's most important biodiversity sites, and the forest reserve Forêt-des-pins, Haiti's biggest pine reserve, which is dominated by the endemic pine species Pinus occidentalis. Important cultural and architectural traditions are preserved in the historic city of Jacmel, which is partially included in the biosphere reserve.

UNESCO reports the process to declare La Selle a biosphere reserve was initiated in 2005, and that much work remains to be done to ensure that the space can fulfill its functions, including: the conservation of nature and biodiversity; the promotion of sustainable economic development to improve the lives of its inhabitants; and logistical support for knowledge and scientific research. [UNESCO Press Release] [Information on La Selle]