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Managing UNESCO-designated sites during the pandemic – video reports from the field: Cibodas Biosphere Reserve, Indonesia
Around the world, UNESCO-designated sites – World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and UNESCO Global Geoparks – protect and manage the world’s most special places. The COVID-19 pandemic affects people, wildlife and their environment in different ways.
Cibodas Biosphere Reserve in West Java, Indonesia surrounds the Gunung Gede-Pangrango National Park as its core area. Cibodas BR is an example of an ecosystem in the humid tropics under strong human pressure. It encompasses two volcanic peaks and mountainous rainforests, including many species endemic to Java. The buffer zone comprises production forests, tea plantations and horticulture fields, while the majority of the transition area is covered by rice irrigation fields and human settlements.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the core area of the Biosphere Reserve has been closed for visitors. Among other impacts, the closure of the park has led to positive effects on the environment, including reduced waste and re-emerging of wildlife.
A video prepared by the Cibodas Biosphere Reserve management on the impact of - and responses to - Covid-19 is available here:
