The Lofoten Islands in Northern Norway and its surrounding seas would perfectly meet the criteria of becoming listed in the UNESCO MaB Programme. The newly established Lofotodden national park could fit in as a core zone. Different discussed ways to preserve the natural and cultural values of international importance, such as the famous traditional and sustainable cod fishery, could be achieved by a biosphere reserve with different use zones. Various existing initiatives and projects on the Lofoten, such as De grønne øyene, the commitment of Flakstad municipality to be "arealnøytral" or Folkeakjonen could be integrated if the local people should decide to apply for a biosphere reserve, which UNESCO describes as "Laboratories for the Sustainable Development Goals”. Photos taken between 2019-2020 at the coast of Lofoten, Arctic Norway by Peter Prokosch

Year: 2022