Brighton & Lewes Downs UNESCO biosphere reserve unveils ‘The Living Coast’ identity
The Brighton & Lewes Downs UNESCO World Biosphere Region has unveiled a new identity for the area; ‘The Living Coast’ is being billed as the place where people and nature come together in a world-class environment.
Recently senior figures from the University of Sussex, local businesses, public bodies and the third sector came together at the Brighton Museum to celebrate the new identity of the region, which is ranked as an ‘outstanding natural landscape’ alongside areas such as the Amazon and Mount Olympus.
‘The Living Coast’ identity aims to get more people looking after, improving and enjoying the designated World Biosphere Region, which comprises the land and sea which stretches from Shoreham to Newhaven and Lewes.
University of Sussex undergraduate and postgraduate students will undertake vital multidisciplinary research within the biosphere to better understand its past, present and future and to inform effective management carried out through the Biosphere Programme Delivery Plan.
Professor Michael Davies, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, said: “The Living Coast is an amazing living laboratory in which to study how humans from rural and urban areas interact with their marine, coastal and terrestrial environments.
“The Biosphere Partnership fosters exciting collaborations with researchers from various disciplines working in universities and research organisations to address how we can best manage the biosphere for future generations.”
Geoff Raw, Chief Executive at Brighton & Hove City Council, the lead partner of the Biosphere Partnership, said: “Our UNESCO World Biosphere Region status gives considerable prestige to our environmental work and is also a powerful driver to go further and show leadership beyond our boundaries.
“The Living Coast is an exciting new identity for our area that offers a great opportunity for our economy to become more resilient and our community to live healthier lives in greater harmony with our unique local environment”.
Ben Earl, Chair of the Biosphere Delivery Board and Water Efficiency Manager at Southern Water, said: “The Biosphere Partnership plays a vital function in bringing together a diverse range of organisations with an interest and role in our local environment to collaborate more effectively for our common good.
“This dynamic mix of public, private and voluntary-sector bodies enables us to achieve far more than any one body could do acting alone. I look forward to seeing our impact grow with the advent of The Living Coast.”